Hyderabad Metro has received its first set of rails – about 5,000 tonnes of rails from Tata Steel, France, which is one of the largest suppliers of rails to major rail projects around the world. The project needs about 22,500 tonnes of rails which will be procured in six lots. Each rail is 18m long and weighs about 1100kg. Since the Hyderabad Metro has many sharp bends and gradients, the project is using wear-resistant, head-hardened head rails for the complete main line while normal lines are being used for the depot lines. Head-hardened rails have twice the life of a normal rail. Due to the many bends in the alignment, check rails are also being provided on all curves of less than 190m radius to prevent derailment of the trains.
