Bhilai Steel plant delivers 4,000 t of HT rails to Railways

13 Jun 2024 CW Team

The Indian Railways has been prioritizing the procurement of micro-alloyed and HT rails to accommodate its upgraded requirements. Responding to this demand, BSP?s modern universal rail mill has begun trial rolling of HT rails in addition to its regular production of micro-alloyed R260 grade rails.

Commercial production of the R350 HT rails commenced in October last year, following successful trials and subsequent approvals from SAIL and Indian Railways research divisions. The first consignment of 1,000 tonnes of 260-metre-long R350 HT rails was dispatched on October 31, 2023. Since then, a total of four rakes have been delivered, each containing 1,000 tonnes of these specialized rails.

These HT rails are crucial for sections of rail transportation that experience higher axle loads and speeds, where the friction between wheels and rails is significantly increased due to faster acceleration and deceleration of trains.

BSP, renowned for its long-standing collaboration with Indian Railways, produces the world's longest single-piece 130-metre rails and supplies 260-metre welded rail panels. To further meet the Railways' evolving needs, SAIL-Bhilai has also developed the R260 grade with the new 60 E1 profile, which has been in production since July 2022, offering more stringent norms compared to previous grades.

On April 24, SAIL-Bhilai dispatched three rakes of R350 HT rails in a ?combo rolling? mode alongside 56 rakes of R260 rails. The fourth rake of HT rails was produced over three days with a rolling average of 10 hours per day, marking a significant improvement in the acceptance rate of HT rails compared to the previous financial year.

The Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), a key entity of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), has successfully dispatched four rakes, each carrying 1,000 tonnes of R350 heat-treated (HT) rails, to the Indian Railways. This delivery is part of a broader effort to support the national transporter?s modernization initiative, aimed at enhancing rail infrastructure for faster transportation with higher axle loads. The Indian Railways has been prioritizing the procurement of micro-alloyed and HT rails to accommodate its upgraded requirements. Responding to this demand, BSP?s modern universal rail mill has begun trial rolling of HT rails in addition to its regular production of micro-alloyed R260 grade rails. Commercial production of the R350 HT rails commenced in October last year, following successful trials and subsequent approvals from SAIL and Indian Railways research divisions. The first consignment of 1,000 tonnes of 260-metre-long R350 HT rails was dispatched on October 31, 2023. Since then, a total of four rakes have been delivered, each containing 1,000 tonnes of these specialized rails. These HT rails are crucial for sections of rail transportation that experience higher axle loads and speeds, where the friction between wheels and rails is significantly increased due to faster acceleration and deceleration of trains. BSP, renowned for its long-standing collaboration with Indian Railways, produces the world's longest single-piece 130-metre rails and supplies 260-metre welded rail panels. To further meet the Railways' evolving needs, SAIL-Bhilai has also developed the R260 grade with the new 60 E1 profile, which has been in production since July 2022, offering more stringent norms compared to previous grades. On April 24, SAIL-Bhilai dispatched three rakes of R350 HT rails in a ?combo rolling? mode alongside 56 rakes of R260 rails. The fourth rake of HT rails was produced over three days with a rolling average of 10 hours per day, marking a significant improvement in the acceptance rate of HT rails compared to the previous financial year.

Infrastructure Transport

05 Feb 2026

MMRDA Installs 325-Tonne Steel Spans on Mumbai Metro Line 4

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has achieved a key construction milestone on Metro Line 4 with the successful installation of three large steel spans at Bhandup West during overnight operations.The spans, together weighing 325 metric tonnes, were launched using eight heavy-duty cranes and 12 multi-axle vehicles. The operation required precise engineering and meticulous planning to minimise disruption in the densely populated suburban area.Due to effective inter-agency coordination, the work—originally scheduled across four nights—was completed within just two n..

Infrastructure Transport

05 Feb 2026

CMRL Targets March 2027 Opening for Vadapalani–Panagal Park

Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is progressing as scheduled to open the Vadapalani–Panagal Park section of Phase II’s Corridor 4 by March 2027. The 3.5 km underground stretch is part of the 26.1 km Corridor 4 connecting Lighthouse with Poonamallee Bypass.Construction activities are advancing steadily, with tunnelling works between Vadapalani and Panagal Park already completed. Track-laying operations are expected to commence shortly. At Panagal Park station, structural works have reached the concourse and platform levels, while excavation continues at the lowest level.CMRL is also consid..

Infrastructure Transport

05 Feb 2026

Maha-Metro Invites Pune Metro Civil Maintenance Bids

Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) has invited bids for the annual civil maintenance contract of the Pune Metro Rail Project. The tender, bearing ID and number P1-O&M-20/2025, is scheduled to close on 23 February 2026, with a pre-bid meeting slated for 10 February 2026. The earnest money deposit (EMD) for the contract is Rs 3,50,500, and the duration of the contract is one year.The scope of work includes annual civil maintenance of 28 elevated and underground stations, 28.079 km of elevated viaduct including steel bridges, 12.15 km of tunnels, and two depots under the ..