HP335 Comes of Age
British Steel has been enjoying a double celebration this year - two big milestones for their High-Performance rail, HP335. Not only has this premium rail turned a decade old, but the company has now sold more than 100,000 tonnes of it – enough to build a direct track from where it’s made in Scunthorpe straight to Oslo in Norway! The first HP335 rail, or HPrail® as it was then known, was installed in Bessy Gill, UK, back in August 2010. British Steel had been working closely with Network Rail to develop a rail that would combat the issues of rolling contact fatigue and wear. When this new microstructurally engineered rail with uniform through-hardness proved favourable in laboratory tests, it was installed on a number of trial sites across the UK. Key Account Manager John Austin said: “Its performance in-track demonstrated longer rail life and lower life cycle costs due to reduced grinding frequency – in some cases of up to 60% – when compared to standard grade rails, and this led to Network Rail’s full product approval of HP335 in 2012. Since then, it’s been installed in light rail, mainline and heavy haul applications throughout the UK and Ireland. HP335’s high performance continues to delight our customers with extended
rail life and fewer track maintenance requirements and is now the premium rail of choice in the UK mainline network. Happy birthday HP335 – here’s to the next 10 years!”
What is different about this Rail?
This non-heat-treated rail is designed for curved track and other high duty areas, where it has proved to improve wear resistance, cut life cycle costs, reduce grinding frequency and extend rail life. Suited to a wide range of applications, HP335 (also known as HPrail®) was approved for use by Network Rail in 2012 and is now the premium rail of choice in the UK mainline network. Several light rail operators have also adopted HP335 as their premium rail solution for reducing wear, corrugation and grinding requirements to maximise rail life whilst reducing life cycle costs.
Reduced Life Cycle Costs
HP335 delivers low wear rates (comparable with R350HT rails) without the need for heat treatment. It also delivers greatly improved rolling contact fatigue (RCF) performance above other 'as-rolled' rails. This reduces the need for rail grinding to control RCF by typically 66%, thereby increasing
Lindsey and Brindusa from our Rail Technologies team surveying track at Drax power station Spring 2021
GREAT WESTERN STAR MAGAZINE
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