Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel Corporation announced on April 13 its development of ‘SP3' (Super Pearlite Type 3), a new rail which reportedly offers the world's highest level of wear resistance for heavy-haul railway lines.
According to a company press release, the premium rail was delivered in February to BNSF Railway, one of the US' largest railroads.
SP3, with its unprecedented wear resistance and internal hardness, critical factors in achieving longer rail life, is especially robust deep inside as well as on its surface. The useful life of SP3 is more than 10 percent longer than that of conventional head-hardened rail, meaning significant cost efficiency.
The rail is widely used outside Japan, especially in the US, mainly for freight tracks used for transporting heavy commodities like coal and grain. It is especially beneficial on curved portions of track where centrifugal forces accelerate the pace of wear.
SP3 successfully completed tests conducted jointly in the US by JFE and BNSF Railway in over a year. Following the tests, BNSF placed a commercial order for about 600 mt, or some 9 kilometers, of 141-pound SP3 rail.