<p>As a core component in the operation of high-speed trains, railway wheels are prone to wear during long-term use, which affects operational safety. To improve the wear resistance of the ER8 wheel steel, a bainitic steel coating was prepared via laser cladding technology. By designing different laser process parameters (The laser power was set to 900, 1100, and 1300 W, the scanning speed was set to 5, 6, and 7&#xa0;mm/s, and the powder feeding rate was set to 7, 9, and 11&#xa0;g/min.), the element diffusion behavior, microstructure, microhardness, and tribological performance of the coating were systematically studied, and the wear mechanism of the coating was comprehensively analyzed. The results revealed that a good metallurgical bond formed between the coating and the substrate, the microstructure of the coating was mainly composed of acicular bainite and interdendritic regions, the hardness of the coating was generally greater than that of the substrate, although the friction coefficient and wear rate were not completely correlated, the hardness was positively correlated with the wear resistance, the wear mechanisms included mainly abrasive wear, adhesive wear, and oxidative fatigue wear, and the formation and fracture of the oxide film had a significant impact on the wear mechanism during the friction process. Under the conditions of a laser power of 1300 W, scanning speed of 6&#xa0;mm/s, and powder feeding rate of 7&#xa0;g/min, the S8 sample exhibited the lowest wear rate, the highest hardness, and the best overall performance. The coating hardness increased from 223 HV_0.2 to 567 HV_0.2, representing an improvement of approximately 154% compared with the substrate. The wear rate decreased from 12.29 × 10^-9 mm³/N mm to 5.50 × 10^-9 mm³/N mm, corresponding to a 55% reduction relative to the substrate. Meanwhile, the friction coefficient decreased from 0.63 to 0.59, showing a 6% reduction compared with the substrate.</p>