Rail freight traffic - hard labor for the rails

Possibly the most monumental trains in the world roll on the heavy haul tracks in Australia, Brazil, South Africa and other regions, where raw materials are brought from mining facilities to harbors for shipment. Trains of several kilometers in length and with a total weight of many tens of thousands of tons are driving there 24/7 at hourly intervals (for comparison: a single heavy haul train of 25,000 tons equals around 500 fully loaded heavy-duty trucks).

The hardest rails with an extreme resistance to abrasive wear and the lengthiest possible maintenance-free life spans are just good enough to master these ultra heavy haul demands.

voestalpine is a global supplier for such users, with its ultra-hard, so-called hypereutectoid, heat-treated rail steels of the grade 400UHC.

Option for Europe

But in Europe, as well, the further development of rail freight traffic is, within the framework of the available options, of eminent importance. voestalpine is able to benefit like no other rail manufacturer from the experience it has gathered worldwide also in this traffic mode.

For the relevant projects in Europe, we recommend the head-hardened alloyed rail steel grades 350LHT or 370 LHT or the hypereutectoid, head-hardened rail steel grade 400UHC.