Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) on Wednesday said that Indian Railways has given its approval to the company for regular rail supplier status for its upcoming and ongoing projects.

In a regulatory filing the company said, “Jindal Steel & power limited (JSPL) becomes India’s first private company to get approval from Indian Railways for regular rail supplier status for its upcoming and ongoing projects.”

Indian Railways normally gets its rail supplies from public sector entity Steel Authority of India Ltd (Sail) that makes several railway grade steel at its Bhilai Steel plant.

Research Designs & Standards Organisation (RDSO), which works under the ambit of the Railway Board, has approved field performance of UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class- A) rails made by JSPL at its Raigarh Plant, it added.

“Railway Board has accepted the field performance test report of RDSO and considered UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class- A) rails are suitable for use in Indian Railways,” the statement said.

The approval by RDSO itself is an illustrious qualification for JSPL’s Rail Mill, as their evaluation quality and safety parameters are very stringent, and not many rail producers in the world can meet ou quality norms laid by RDSO.

“We are thankful to the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Steel for encouraging domestic manufacturing of Rails. We are thankful to the RDSO for field performance approval of UIC 60 kg, 880 Grade prime (Class-A) rails of JSPL” said V R Sharma, Managing Director, JSPL.

Apart from 880 Grade main track rails, JSPL has also started supplying 1080 grade Head Hardened rails to several metro Rails projects in India which includes Rail Vikas Nigam Limited for the construction of the Kolkata Metro Rail Project and Pune Metro.

“JSPL supplies special grade rail blooms to France Rail, Hayange in Europe. Rail produced from JSPL supplied Blooms by France Rail are found successful in meeting the quality & safety parameters of different European railways. JSPL also exported 2.5 Lakh Tonnes of rails through Indian PSUs (IRCON & STC) to customers in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, & Africa,” the company said.