Team News Riveting
Raipur, May 27
Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), an arm of state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Bhilai Steel Plant is now producing and supplying the desired new R260 grade of rails with new 60E1 profile to the Indian Railways.
SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant has been producing world class quality rails for Indian Railways for over six decades as per desired specifications, quality, profile and length. Indian Railways is moving towards operating at higher axle load and speed for which it required micro-alloyed R260 grade Rail steel exhibiting higher yield strength.
The new R260 grade of rails with even more stringent specification norms than European standard EN 13674 coupled with perfectly engineered 60E1 profile is more suitable for higher speed and higher axle load. SAIL-Bhilai takes pride in the fact that hydrogen content in Rail Steel being supplied to Indian Railways is at par with global standards and in some cases even better. The new R260 grade not only ensures cleaner steel but also provides better mechanical properties.
This micro-alloyed special R260 grade steel is being produced in both Steel Melting Shops of Bhilai – SMS 3 and SMS 2. The new grade Rail steel in new profile 60E1 is being rolled out from the Plant’s state of the art Universal Rail Mill (URM) as well as from its Rail & Structural Mill (RSM). It is worth mentioning here that URM rolls out the world’s longest 130 metre rails in single piece. Both the URM & RSM supply long rails upto 260 meter in length as long welded panels (LWP).
The higher strength of this new grade of rails being supplied by SAIL-Bhilai will enable to withstand more rigorous Rail traffic loads and also achieve better service life and will help in reducing cycle time cost. It may be recalled that the new R260 grade of Rails in UIC 60 profile was first developed and rolled out by SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant in June 2020.
The first rake of Rails manufactured with R260 grade rail steel had been flagged off from the Plant by Director I/c BSP Anirban Dasgupta with virtual presence of Vishwesh Chaube, then Member Engineering (ME), Railway Board, Chairman, SAIL and senior officials of Ministry of Steel (MoS). The Plant had supplied over 12,000 Tonnes (T) of the new grade to Railways in last fiscal year.
With Indian Railways now desiring supply of R260 grade rails in 60E1 profile only, production of the new grade of rails has been resumed and stabilized in Universal Rail Mill and Rail & Structural Mill with new 60E1 profile during the month of April and May 2021. More than 56,000 T of R260 grade rails with 60E1 profile has so far been rolled out and about 50,000 T has already been despatched to Indian Railways in the months of April and May 21 of the current fiscal.
The production and supply of this new grade and profile of rails has been the culmination of months of efforts put in by SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant, Indian Railways and its research & development wing, the RDSO and SAIL’s own research wing RDCIS, Ranchi. In fact, the specifications given by RDSO for this new grade of rails, as mentioned earlier, are even more stringent than the original specifications of rails practiced in European countries. As such the steel for this new grade of rails is cleaner and has higher yield strength.
As Rail makers to the Nation, SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant has been an integral part of the day-to-day operations of the Indian Railways, the National Carrier. SAIL-BSP has rolled out the desired volume, quality and length of rails to meet the changing requirements, year after year, progressively improving standards to roll out world class rails as per stringent specifications of the Indian Railways.
The Rails produced by SAIL/BSP traverse the length and breadth of our Country. Steel-making for Rails in Maharatna company SAIL’s Bhilai Steel Plant has been specialized to meet and even better the exacting standards set for ensuring safety of the passengers. SAIL and Indian Railways’ collaboration for carrying out continuous product and process improvements to cater to the changing requirements has been a hallmark of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
