Steel Rails

2. Chinese standards：GB/T (National Standard)

This is the main standard for steel rail production and domestic railway construction in China.

GB/T 2585-2007 "Hot rolled railway rails": This is the most core standard, covering various models from 43 kg/m to 75 kg/m. The most famous of these are the U71Mn and U75V series, which are widely used in conventional and heavy-duty lines.

GB/T 33959-2017 "Steel rails for high-speed railways": This is a higher standard specifically formulated for high-speed railways with a speed of 250 kilometers per hour or above. It has extremely strict requirements for the purity, flatness, surface hardness, and residual stress control of steel rails, representing the highest level of Chinese rail technology, with typical grades such as U71MnG and U75VG.

TB/T (Railway Industry Standard): It focuses more on the use, welding, maintenance, and acceptance of steel rails, and is a supplement and refinement to GB standards. For example, TB/T 2344 Rail Joint Flatness Standard.

Characteristics: The Chinese standard system is complete and highly targeted (with clear distinction between general speed, heavy load, and high-speed), and with the leading technology of high-speed rail in China, high-speed rail standards have become one of the world benchmarks.

3. European standards：EN 13674 series standards

This is a unified steel rail standard in Europe, with advanced technology and rigorous system, recognized or referenced by many countries and regions.

Classified by strength grade: R200 (tensile strength 680 MPa, used for ordinary lines), R260 (780 MPa, mainstream grade), R320Cr (high-strength wear-resistant, used for bends), R350HT (high heat treatment, used for heavy loads).

There are specific and strict requirements for fatigue performance, such as contact fatigue and bending fatigue.

There are clear regulations on microstructure (such as pearlite interlayer spacing) to ensure performance.

Features: Scientific grading, clear performance orientation, with particular emphasis on the durability and full lifecycle cost of steel rails.

4. North American standards

AREMA Handbook: This is the authoritative guide for the North American railway industry, and the section on rails (such as Chapter 4) is the de facto standard.

Common grades: C-Mn steel series (such as 10801070), ordinary heat-treated rails (such as HH), advanced heat-treated rails (such as HH340, HH370). The number usually represents the minimum hardness (Brinell hardness).

Emphasize hardness as the core indicator to adapt to the extremely heavy axle loads (up to 35 tons or more) and heavy-duty transportation in North America.

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standards, such as ASTM A1, but not as influential as AREMA.

Characteristics: Strong practicality, closely integrated with heavy-duty operation practice, with extremely high requirements for hardness and wear resistance.

5. Japanese standards: JIS E 1101 "Hot Rolled Railway Rails"

Main grades: JIS 60N (equivalent to China U71Mn, used in the early days of Shinkansen), high-strength wear-resistant rails, etc.

The Japanese standard has very strict requirements for dimensional accuracy and surface smoothness, which is closely related to its Shinkansen's requirements for smoothness and low noise.

Characteristics: Precise and rigorous, highly compatible with the operation and maintenance system of Japan's high-speed rail.