Indian Railways eyes rust-resistant rails

The Indian Railways plans to use galvanized steel rails in coastal and high-humidity regions to reduce corrosion and quadruple track life, two people aware of the development said.

- Subhash Narayan

Railways plans to use galvanized steel rails in coastal and high-humidity regions to reduce corrosion and quadruple track life. MINT

The move is being examined as an alternative to the nickel copper chromium (NCC) rails being produced by state-owned steel maker Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL).

Galvanized rails increase the lifespan of tracks, especially in coastal areas and regions with high humidity and rainfall, by more than four times compared to the two-three years of regular steel rails.

The lifespan of normal steel rails (in areas prone to less rusting) is about 12 years.