NEW DELHI: Indian Railways has approved Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) for regular rail supplier status for its upcoming and ongoing projects making it the first private company to get such approval from the national transporter.
Indian Railways normally gets its rail supplies from public sector entity Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) that makes several railway grade steel at its Bhilai Steel plant.
Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), which works under the ambit of the Railway Board, has approved field performance of UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class- A) rails made by JSPL at its Raigarh Plant.
Railway Board has accepted the field performance test report of RDSO and considered UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class-A) rails are suitable for use in Indian Railways, a company statement said.
The approval by RDSO itself is an illustrious qualification for JSPL's Rail Mill, as their evaluation quality and safety parameters are very stringent, and not many rail producers in the world can meet to quality norms laid by RDSO, the statement added.
"It's a landmark development towards India's quest for AtmaNirbhar Bharat and it is a momentous occasion for our rail business. We are thankful to the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Steel for encouraging domestic manufacturing of Rails. We are thankful to the RDSO for field performance approval of UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class-A) rails of JSPL," said JSPL MD VR Sharma.
Apart from 880 Grade main track rails, JSPL has also started supplying 1080 grade Head Hardened rails to several metro Rails projects in India which includes Rail Vikas Nigam Limited for the construction of the Kolkata Metro Rail Project and Pune Metro.
Earlier RDSO had approved the 1080 grade HH rails, and JSPL has developed Special rails, Asymmetric Rails, R260, and 1175HT grades for heavy load carrying wagon units of 75 tonnes /wagon.
JSPL supplies special grade rail blooms to France Rail, Hayange in Europe. Rail produced from JSPL supplied Blooms by France Rail are found successful in meeting the quality & safety parameters of different European railways. The company also exported 2.5 Lakh Tonnes of rails through Indian PSUs (IRCON & STC) to customers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, & Africa.