RDSO Calls Meeting with ERC Manufacturers Amid Spring Steel Shortage and Growing Railway Supply Crisis
Lucknow/New Delhi | Amid the continuing shortage of RDSO-approved spring steel and the mounting difficulties faced by Elastic Rail Clip (#ERC) manufacturers in maintaining supplies to Indian Railways, ED-TK-III, RDSO, has invited ERC vendors for a meeting today, 3 November 2026, to discuss the critical issue of non-availability of spring steel and the resulting supply crisis affecting track maintenance units of all Zonal Railways.
#Ep273: पॉलिसी पैरालिसिस: फील्ड में ERC-ट्रैक मटीरियल की शॉर्टेज!
The availability of 23 mm, Grade 55Si7 spring steel, the principal raw material used in manufacturing ERC MK-V, has emerged as a major concern for the industry. Manufacturers are facing significant difficulties in procuring the required material from RDSO-approved steel manufacturers, directly affecting production planning, contractual delivery schedules and the ability to meet the requirements of various Zonal Railways.
The crisis has assumed considerable importance as ERCs are critical railway track safety components, and any disruption in their regular availability can adversely affect railway maintenance and track-related requirements.
The industry has repeatedly highlighted the structural issues affecting the availability of spring steel, including stringent inspection and testing requirements, pricing concerns, and the commercial viability of manufacturing and supplying the specified grade of steel. The manufacturers have particularly emphasized the need for a coordinated intervention by Railway Board and RDSO to ensure a sustainable and uninterrupted supply of spring steel from approved sources.
The meeting convened by ED-TK-III is therefore significant, as it provides an opportunity for direct interaction between RDSO and ERC manufacturers to discuss the ground realities, identify the bottlenecks in raw material procurement and work towards practical solutions to restore normal production and supplies.
The industry expects that the deliberations will go beyond an assessment of the immediate shortage and address the underlying policy and procurement-related issues responsible for the continuing crisis. A sustainable mechanism for ensuring regular availability of spring steel, rationalization of technical requirements wherever warranted, and an appropriate linkage between spring steel prices and the PVC mechanism in railway tenders are among the important issues requiring consideration.
The immediate challenge before the Railway administration is to ensure that the raw material supply chain is restored before the shortage translates into a wider disruption of ERC availability across Zonal Railways.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to be important for the ERC manufacturing industry as well as the uninterrupted maintenance and safety requirements of Indian Railways.