BS Steel Rail

British Standard Steel Rail: Types, Dimensions & Applications

About British Standard Steel Rail

British Standard (commonly abbreviated as BS) is the national standards system of the United Kingdom, developed by the British Standards Institution (BSI). BS standards cover multiple industrial sectors, with railway rail being a significant component.

British Standard steel rail is a commonly used type of rail in railway construction. Its length typically ranges from 30 to 60 feet, with a weight of 75 to 141 pounds per yard. The rail’s cross-section features two symmetrical sides, a flat base, and a uniform height. The rail head is rounded to minimize wear caused by passing trains. Additionally, the rail includes a web and flanges that provide stability and support to the train.

High-Quality BS Steel Rail & Custom Processing Services by GloryCrane

GloryCrane provides BS steel rails in various sizes, such as BS113A, BS90A, BS75A, BA80R (900A material); and BS60R, BS50 O (700 material). Available in 12m standard lengths, we offer large stock quantities to meet your demands.

Additionally, we offer specialized rail processing services such as cutting, bending, drilling, painting, and galvanizing. Our advanced production line includes stretch bending equipment, allowing us to tailor rail solutions to your design specifications. With years of experience, GloryCrane ensures optimal crane track design and installation at the most competitive prices.

GloryCrane is a well-known supplier of railway rail systems in China. We can provide you with one-stop rail system supporting products, including rail clamps consisting of a weldable down clip and a bolted upper clip with rubber nose, as well as rail bolts and nuts, steel base plates, rail connection fishplates, rubber elastomer pads below the rail, supporting steel beams. They are exported around the world along with the rails as part of crane rail solutions.

Key Features and Advantages of BS Steel Rail

1. Proven International Standard
BS steel rails are internationally recognized and widely adopted across rail networks in the UK, Commonwealth countries, and global infrastructure projects. Their proven reliability makes them a trusted choice for railway construction.

2. Versatile Rail Profile Options
Available in various sizes such as BS 80A, BS 90A, BS 100A, and BS 113A, these rails are suitable for light, medium, and heavy-duty rail applications, including urban transit, mining, and mainline tracks.

3. Superior Structural Design
The I-shaped cross-section with a rounded head, reinforced web, and wide flat base ensures excellent load-bearing capacity, reduced wear, and enhanced stability—essential for long-term railway performance.

4. High-Strength Steel Grades
BS rails are manufactured using high-quality steel grades like 900A, R260, and R350HT, offering superior tensile strength, wear resistance, and weldability.

5. Customizable Processing Services
Drilling, cutting, grinding, anti-corrosion oiling, bending, and beveling can be tailored to project specifications, supporting efficient installation and on-site performance.

6. Compatibility with International Systems
BS rails conform to BS11 and EN13674-1 standards, ensuring interoperability with British and European railway systems and third-party certification requirements.

7. Ideal for Export
With optimized packaging and quality control, BS steel rails are well-suited for international shipping and bulk export, making them a preferred choice for global railway contractors.

Structural Design Advantages of BS Steel Rails

BS steel rails adopt an I-beam cross-sectional design, consisting of three main components: the rail head, rail web, and rail base. This structure has been proven through over a century of engineering practice, offering several distinct advantages:

Head Design (Running Surface)

The rail head features a rounded trapezoidal profile with a smooth arc transition (e.g., BS100A with a head width of 69.85 mm), providing a continuous and stable rolling contact surface for train wheels. The optimized curvature radius at the top (typically R300–R500 mm) helps minimize wheel-rail contact stress and effectively reduces wear.

Web Engineering (Vertical Load Transfer)

The rail web uses a variable-thickness design (e.g., BS113A with a web thickness of up to 20 mm), slightly thicker in the middle than at the ends. This improves flexural rigidity while preventing stress concentration. The rail web height (152.4 mm for BS100A) is tailored to match the overall rail profile, enhancing vertical stiffness.

Base Optimization (Lateral Stability)

The wide rail base (e.g., BS113A with a base width of 139.7 mm) is designed with a sloped transition (typically 1:3 or 1:4) to ensure stable contact with tie plates or sleepers, improving lateral stability. The base edge thickness is strictly controlled (≥13 mm) to prevent deformation or crushing under load.

Specifications of BS Steel Rails

British Standard	Head Width (mm)	Rail Height (mm)	Base Width (mm)	Waist Thickness (mm)	Nominal Weight (kg/m)	Material	Lenght (m)
BS113A	69.85	158.75	139.7	20	56.398	900A	8-25
BS110A	69.85	152.4	133.35	15.08	50.182	900A	8-25
BS90A	66.67	142.88	127	13.89	45.099	900A	8-25
BS80A	63.5	133.35	117.47	13.1	39.761	900A	8-25
BS75A	61.91	128.59	114.3	12.7	37.455	900A	8-25
BS70A	60.32	123.82	111.12	12.3	34.807	900A	8-25
BS60A	57.15	114.3	109.54	11.11	30.618	900A	6-18
BS80R	63.5	133.85	127	13.49	39.374	900A	8-25
BS75R	61.91	128.59	122.24	13.1	37.041	900A	8-25
BS60R	57.15	114.3	109.54	11.11	29.822	700	6-18
BS50 O	52.39	100.01	100.01	10.32	24.833	700	6-18

How to Choose the BS Steel Rail?

Depending on the application scenario, it is recommended to select the appropriate British Standard steel rail type:

Branch Lines and Station Yards: BS50O or BS60A is recommended, with unit weights ranging from 25 to 31 kg/m. These models offer a balance between cost-effectiveness and sufficient load capacity, suitable for axle loads under 25 tons.

Mainline Railways (Mixed Passenger and Freight): BS75A is the preferred choice, with a unit weight of 37.5 kg/m and a rail height of 128.6 mm. It is ideal for axle loads between 25–30 tons and annual traffic volumes of 30–60 million tons.

Heavy-Haul Dedicated Lines: BS100A or BS113A is recommended, with unit weights of 50–56 kg/m and rail heights between 152–158 mm. These rails are designed for axle loads exceeding 35 tons and heavy freight lines transporting over 100 million tons annually, such as mining railways.

Tight Curves (R<800m): Models with the “R” designation (e.g.,BS75R) are recommended. Their optimized rail base and enhanced lateral wear resistance can extend the service life of rails on curves by more than 30%.

Port Crane Rail Systems: The combination of BS80R and QU100 rails is ideal. BS80R provides a stable foundation, while the QU100 crane rail (with a head width of 100 mm) ensures smooth and safe crane operations.

GloryCrane Commonly Used Steel Chemical Compositions

Steel Grade	C (%)	Si	Mn	Cr	V	P	S	Tensile Strength （Rm/MPa)
50Mn	0.48-0.56	0.17-0.37	0.70-1.00	0.25	–	≤0.035	≤0.035	≥645
U71Mn	0.65~0.76	0.15~0.58	0.70~1.40	–	–	≤0.035	≤0.030	≥880
900A	0.60-0.80	0.10-0.50	0.80-1.30	–	–	≤0.040	≤0.040	≥880
U75V	0.71~0.80	0.50~0.80	0.75~1.05	–	0.04~0.12	≤0.035	≤0.030	≥980
U78CrV	0.72~0.82	0.50~0.80	0.70~1.05	0.30~0.50	0.04~0.12	≤0.035	≤0.030	≥1080
U77MnCr	0.72~0.82	0.10~0.50	0.80~1.10	0.25~0.40	–	≤0.035	≤0.025	≥980
U76CrRE	0.71~0.81	0.50~0.80	0.80~1.10	0.25~0.35	0.04~0.08	≤0.035	≤0.025	≥1080

We Supply A Full Range of Railway Rails

In addition to the Chinese standard crane rail, we also provide various types of rail products in the following other national standards.

Crane Rail Type	Standard	Size	Material	Standard Length
QU Series	Chinese YB/T 5055-2014	QU70, QU80, QU100, QU120	U71Mn, U75V	12m
A Series	German DIN536	A45, A55, A65, A75, A100, A120, A150	50Mn,U71Mn	10/12/15m
ASCE Series	American ASTM, AREMA	ASCE25, ASCE40, ASCE60, ASCE75, ASCE85, ASCE90, ASCE115, ASCE136	700/900A/1100	6-12m, 12-25m
UIC Series	International Union of Railways UIC860-0, EN-13674-1	UIC50, UIC54, UIC60	900A/1100	12-25m
BS Series	British BS11-1985	BS50’O’、BS60A、BS60R, BS75A、BS75R、BS80A, BS100A、BS113A	700/900A	8-25m
JIS Series	Japanese JIS E1103/1101	15kg, 22kg, 30A, 37A, 50N, CR73, CR100	According to JIS	9-10m
AS Series	Australian AS 1085	31kg, 41kg, 47kg, 50kg, 53kg, 60kg, 66kg, 68kg, 73kg, 86kg, 89kg	900A/1100	8-25m
ISCOR Series	South African ISCOR	15kg, 22kg, 30kg, 40kg, 48kg, 57kg	700/900A	9-25m

BS Steel Rail Processing Section

 

Our Rail Series Products