Rail Cutter RC 20 – Faster and Safer Rail Cutter for Professionals

Dismantling railways and tram lines is one of the most demanding specialized tasks in earthmoving and demolition contracting. The work requires heavy-duty equipment, strict safety management, and the ability to operate in confined track environments—often right next to live traffic. Traditionally, rail scrapping has been handled via torch cutting, a method that is slow, expensive, requires specially trained personnel, and carries significant safety risks. On the other hand, using standard scrap shears introduces the hazard of flying shrapnel, which can cause severe workplace accidents.

The Blue RC 20 hydraulic rail cutter is an excavator attachment developed to solve all these problems at once. It replaces torch cutting with fast, safe, and cost-effective hydraulic rail processing, making it the perfect choice for railway demolition, recycling, and tramway renovation.

Why Replace Torch Cutting with a Hydraulic Rail Cutter?

For decades, gas torch cutting has been the rail construction standard for cutting tracks. It works—but at a price that modern railway worksites can no longer justify.

• Safety: Torch cutting requires open flames and hazardous gases in tight spaces that may contain dust or flammable materials. With conventional scrap shears, flying steel fragments are a documented risk. The Blue RC 20 eliminates both threats: it cuts cleanly via hydraulic pressure without an open flame and generates no dangerous flying debris.
• Speed: Hydraulic rail cutting is significantly faster than torch cutting. Controlled directly from the excavator cabin, the rail cutter can be positioned rapidly thanks to its 360° hydraulic rotation, eliminating the need for separate gas equipment or cooling times. This translates directly into more meters processed per day.
• Cost Efficiency: Torch cutting ties up specialized labor and costly gas equipment. With the RC 20, the same job is handled easily by a single excavator operator. Furthermore, the cutting blades can be turned four times, meaning the wear parts last substantially longer before replacement—reducing your operating costs even further.

Blue RC 20 – Designed for Demanding Professional Use

The Blue RC 20 is not just a standard steel shear. It is an excavator attachment specifically optimized for rail cutting, with a design that carefully considers the unique demands of the railway environment.

360° Hydraulic Rotation for Fast Positioning

The rail cutter features full hydraulic continuous rotation. In practice, this means the operator can precisely position the cutting head at the correct angle without moving the carrier machine—even in difficult positions or tight trackside structures. The rotation oil flow is 15 l/min at a pressure of 120 bar, ensuring fast and controlled movement.

Four-Way Turnable Cutting Blades

One of the key practical advantages of the RC 20 is blade longevity. The wear-resistant cutting blades can be flipped four times before they need to be replaced. This offers direct cost savings, providing contractors with four times the service life compared to single-use blades.

Optimized Cutting Geometry for Vignol Rails

The RC 20 is custom-engineered for cutting Vignol (flat-bottom) rails. The attachment effortlessly processes profiles ranging from S7 to UIC 60, provided the rail tensile strength is under 900 N/mm². Cutting hardened special rails is not recommended. The cutting geometry is highly optimized to ensure clean, controlled cuts even on the largest rail profiles.

Suitable for Hi-Rail and Specialized Railway Machines

A major competitive advantage of the RC 20 is its low operating pressure requirement: the rotation mechanism operates at just 120 bar, while the overall minimum operating pressure for railway applications is 260 bar. This means it can be mounted on specialized hi-rail (road-rail) machinery, where hydraulic output pressures are often more limited than on standard excavators.