Bhilai Steel Plant inaugurates Rs 1200-crore Universal Rail Mill

Kolkata: Steel minister, Birender Singh inaugurated a new Rs 1200-crore Universal Rail Mill at Steel Authority of India's (SAIL) Bhilai Steel Plant on Monday and flagged off the first rake from the new mill. With this, SAIL has commenced commercial production of world’s longest single rail of 130 meters from the new Universal Rail Mill (URM). The state-of- the-art URM, will take BSP’s total capacity to produce rails at two million tonne per annum (mtpa). It will be the largest production capacity for rails in any single location for a plant world over. The URM complex would equip SAIL to meet Indian Railways’ specific demand of 260 metre rails as the new mill is capable of producing 260 m long rail with a single weld and also has the provision to supply welded panels up to 520 m length in future. The rails rolled from this new URM will enable SAIL to produce rails with improved surface quality, less residual stress and improved straightness. Commenting on the development, the minister said: “It is a huge step towards Make in India initiative, where India is pioneering in production of such quality products. The country needs to be self sufficient in meeting its specific requirements and products like the longest rails will solidify industry confidence.” Alongside the URM,which is part of the plant’s modernization and expansion programme, a long rail welding complex had also been established. The welding complex is equipped with fully automated flash butt welding machine to weld rail panels of 260-metre length and fully automated long rail handling facility.

Speaking ont the occasion, SAIL chairman, P K Singh said:“This URM complex with the latest technology will empower SAIL to meet the specific needs of Indian railways with greater efficiency and finesse. In a challenging market scenario, we expect to offer better solutions for specialized needs of our customers.”

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