SAIL To Begin Production Of Head Hardened Rails For High-Speed Freight Corridors, Metro Projects At Bhilai Steel Plant

India's state-owned steel maker Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) will begin producing limited quantity of special rails used in high-speed freight corridors and metro rail projects this year, according to a company official.

As per the official, SAIL established a new universal rail mill (URM) at its Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) in Chhattisgarh to produce head-hardened rail.

The head hardened rail is still under trial and once the trial is successful the company will be in a position to finalise the quantity to be produced, SAIL Director Finance Anil Kumar Tulsiani said during the Q1 Earnings Conference Call.

Head hardened rails are typically used in metro rail projects and high speed freight corridors which require maximum durability against wear and material fatigue caused by escalating train frequencies, speeds and axle loads. Head hardening technology entails a special heat treatment process which requires precise temperature control to achieve nearly 50 per cent higher hardness as compared to a normal rail.

Head hardened rails can withstand increased wear from trains travelling faster, at greater frequencies and with heavier cargo.

In 2016, SAIL commenced the commercial production of a 130m rail from its new universal rail mill at its Bhilai steel plant.

The automated flash butt welding machine in the mill is used to produce the new rail line by using a fully automated long rail handling facility.

SAIL is one of the largest steel-making companies in India. It produces iron and steel at five integrated plants and three special steel plants, located principally in the eastern and central regions of the country.

Indian Railways have currently projected a requirement of 1.8 Lac MT a year of the high-grade rails, a superior grade to 1080 HH.

In 2020, Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL) became first company to supply head hardened rails to Metro rail projects in India. JSPL is supplying 1080 grade head hardened rails to Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) for the completion of Kolkata Metro's Joka-Esplanade corridor.

The company's 60E1 1175 heat-treated (HT) Rails was approved by the Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO).

Primarily used by the Metro Rail Corporations, High-Speed Corridors and Bullet Trains, the 60E1 1175 HT Rails are equivalent to European R350HT grade with regards to rail profile.