China is currently experiencing a peak period as regards railway construction. According to China's 11th Five Year Plan, from 2006 to 2010, the state will build a total length of 17,000 km of new railways, and will rebuild and restructure 23,000 km of old railways. According to these plans, the total operational length of China's national railways is to increase to 90,000 km at the cost of a total investment of about RMB 1.25 trillion (US$175 billion).
The steel products used in railway construction can be divided into two categories based on area of application. One category involves the construction of fixed infrastructures such as rails and bridges. The other concerns the manufacture of trains and train parts.
So far in the construction of new rails, the 100-meter long heavy rail has been widely applied. From 2008 on, this type of rail will also be used in the overhauling of old rails. Furthermore, longer rails are currently being researched or tested at major steelmakers including Panggang and Angang.
Regarding fixed rail infrastructures, demand for steel mainly focuses on rail steel, sleeper steel, rebar, wire rod and bridge plate. To meet high speed railway requirements and increasing transportation capacities, the steel quality inevitably needs to be improved to higher levels. Whether H-sections, flange beams, screw bolts or wires are in question, high intensity, high levels of hardness and antirust are the main qualities which are stressed. Taking bridge wire for an example: currently, the major steel wires and cables used in rail bridge are normally of 5-7 mm in diameter with strength grades at a level of 570 MPa.
As regards trains and parts, requirements for steel are also indicating some new changes. Currently, around 17,000 locomotives, 42,000 passenger trains and 520,000 freight trains are running on China's rail network. Almost all of these have been manufactured in China, with just a small number having been imported. In the mainstream C70 carriages, high intensity weathering steel is in wide use. In the C80 carriages, ferrite stainless is likewise being widely used.
In the production of train bodies and parts, the HR sections widely used in the past have now almost been completely replaced by cold rolled forming sections. Of these, the use of centre sills made from cold rolled forming sections is regarded as a milestone in the history of carriage production.
With the continuing development of railways in China, this market is attracting more and more steelmakers. In consequence, in the future we can expect to see more research and development for new steel products destined for this field of application.