Steel Authority of India's (SAIL) Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) recently despatched the first lot of indigeneously developed specialized rails known as 'thick web asymmetric rails' to Indian Railways.

This is an advanced 'switch point rails' that is utilised at the 'crossover point' in railway tracks. This would help Railways modernize its track for coping with increased speed and heavier axle loads. Indian Railways will benefit from these rails as they help it plan increase in traffic loads and speeds.

So far, Railways has imported these rails as virtually none of the domestic steel companies produce it commercially.

Globally too, only a few of the top steel producers including Corus, UK and a few in Austria and France produce it.

RK Sinha, General Manager Rail & Structural Mill, Bhilai Steel Plant said the facility developed the capability to supply the entire requirement of Indian Railways for such kind of rails. Indian Railways have projected a yearly demand of 10,000 tonne for these switch rails.