JSPL gets green light to enter European rail market

Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), India's leading private sector steel maker, has cleared the standard test to supply rails to  European countries.

The company has received certification from Luxembourg-based TUV NORD that its rails produced in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh facility match the standards of rails used in Europe. “The agency team inspected the Raigarh plant and certified two grades of rail based on European rail standards,” JSPL spokesperson said.

The development would help JSPL bag orders for supplying rails to European countries and strengthen its export portfolio.

According to company officials, JSPL has been supplying rails for dedicated freight corridors, Delhi Metro and other major projects. It is among seven companies in the world that manufacture head-hardened rail.

JSPL has started strengthening its presence in the international market, the officials said, adding that it is also looking to break the monopoly of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in supplying rails to Indian Railways. SAIL is the sole supplier of rail to the Indian Railways.

JSPL is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to supply rails in a customised finished lengths ranging from 13 to 121 meters. 

The company’s focus on Indian Railways is based on current demand projections as railways is estimated to require nearly 1 million tonne of head-hardened rails over the next five years. JSPL is set to produce 3,60,000 tonne of rails per annum.