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Standard Rail from Steel Dynamics Approved by U.S. Railroads
10/05/2010 - Standard Strength rail produced at Steel Dynamics, Inc.’s Columbia City, Ind., mill has been tested and approved by four U.S.-based Class I railroads and by Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. SDI's Structural & Rail Division has begun rail shipments to Class I railroads.
Standard Strength rail produced at Steel Dynamics, Inc.’s Columbia City, Ind., mill has been tested and approved by four U.S.-based Class I railroads and by Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. The Class I railroads include the BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern Railway, and the Union Pacific Railroad.
Samples of the rail underwent testing and evaluation by independent laboratories to certify adherence to specifications prescribed by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), the industry organization that sets standards for design, construction, and maintenance of America's railroad infrastructure. The railroads then completed their own testing and evaluation protocols, enabling Steel Dynamics to become an approved rail supplier.
SDI's Structural & Rail Division has begun rail shipments to Class I railroads.
Complementing the rail production facility is SDI's on-site Continuous Welded Rail (CWR) plant that joins 240-ft rails into continuously welded rail strings up to 1600 feet long. This facility was modified early in 2010 to allow year-round operation.
SDI notes that orders for CWR have increased significantly, with shipments made to a Class I railroad and, in conjunction with LB Foster Co., 5600 tons of CWR rail supplied for the Northeast New England Passenger Rail Authority. Other CWR customers include regional and short-line freight and passenger railroads.
Commercial production of Standard Strength rails that meet or exceed all current AREMA specifications began earlier this year. The company is currently conducting internal testing and evaluation of alloy-enriched rails of a type used by the major Canadian railroads, with the expectation that the rail can be tailored for use in Canada. Rail products have also been exported to Mexico.
“We expect the recently made investments in a second casting machine that efficiently produces high-quality rail blooms will pay off as we expand rail production to meet the needs of these important new SDI customers,” said Dick Teets, President and COO of SDI's Steel Operations. “We believe that the nation's renewed emphasis on both freight and passenger rail transportation will provide our steel business a unique opportunity for incremental growth.”
