Indian Railways is experimenting with using galvanized steel rails to reduce corrosion in coastal areas.

The state-owned national carrier Indian Railways (IR) plans to experiment with the use of galvanized steel rails in coastal areas and areas with high humidity to reduce corrosion and increase the service life of the tracks from three to 12 years, a government official said on Monday, January 12.The official said that although galvanized steel rails are about 10 percent more expensive than conventional steel rails, they cost about 84,000 Indian rupees/mt ($931/mt) compared to 76,000 Indian rupees/mt ($842/mt) for conventional steel The life cycle cost of galvanized rails will be lower due to their longer service life.

IR plans to purchase 100,000 tons of galvanized steel rails in stages, and the State Organization for Railway Design and Standardization (RDSO) has already approved standards for zinc-thermally coated steel rails.

IR conducted a small pilot study of rust-free and galvanized rails that can be used for new lines, track doubling and gauge conversion projects.

The IR currently uses nickel-chrome steel rails developed by the Bhilai Steel Authority of India Limited, and these high-performance rails are being used to upgrade rail tracks for high-speed heavy-duty train corridors.