Definition Of Rail Pad
Dec 19, 2025
Definition of rail pad
A rail pad is an elastic component, usually made of rubber or polyurethane, placed between a train's steel rail and the concrete/wooden sleeper (tie) to absorb shock, dampen vibrations, distribute load, reduce noise, and minimize wear, thereby protecting track infrastructure and enhancing passenger comfort by creating a buffer for impacts from passing trains.
Our railway pads have a wide range of materials and types, such as rubber rail pad, HDPE rail pad, EVA rail pad, crane rail pad, etc. And there are two patterns for your selection- grooved or studded.
HDPE Railway Pad
HDPE pads have high strength, wear resistance, aging resistance, and good weather resistance features.
Simultaneously, they possess durability, lightweight, easy-to-process, and easy-to-install advantages.
| Technical Parameter | Unit | Technical Requirement | Value |
| Density | g/cm3 | 0.95-0.98 | 0.95 |
| Tensile Strength | Mpa | ≥19 | 19 |
| Elongation | % | >80 | 150 |
| Melting Point | ℃ | 170-190 | 190 |
| Insulation Resistance | Ω | ≥1×1010 | 3.5 ×1010 |
| Hardness | A | ≥98 | 98(A) |
Rubber rail pad
Rubber rail pads adopt synthetic rubber material, and possess high elasticity, wear resistance, aging resistance, and good weather resistance features.
Their advantages are equipment with excellent capacity for damping effect, noise reduction, and adapting to extreme weather conditions.
| Technical Parameter | Unit | Value |
| Stiffness | KN | 90-130 |
| Hardness Shore A | ℃ | 72-80 degree |
| Electronic Resistance | Ω | ≥ 106 |
| Tensile Strength Before Aging | Mpa | ≥12.5 |
| Elongation before Aging | % | ≥250 |
EVA railway pad
EVA pad uses ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer material, its features are high elasticity, wear resistance, aging resistance, and good shock absorption performance.
As for EVA pads' advantages, EVA pads can absorb impact and shake, and reduce noise efficiently, thus improving the ride comfort.
| Technical Parameter | Unit | Technical Requirement | Value |
| Density | g/cm3 | 0.95-0.98 | 0.95 |
| Tensile Strength | Mpa | ≥15 | 16 |
| Elongation | % | >500 | 550 |
| Melting Point | ℃ | 170-190 | 170 |
| Insulation Resistance | Ω | ≥1×1010 | 5.0 ×1010 |
| Hardness | A | ≥90 | 92(A) |
Rail Pads production process
Rubber compound preparation
Mixed by an internal mixer or a two-roll mill. In terms of the internal mixer, the raw materials are processed by single or double stage, during which the masterbatch prepared ahead of time is finalized by adding curing agents to the twin roll mill.
Shaping and curing
Compression or Injection molding
End products trimming
Ready for use
As a professional rail fastener manufacturer, GNEE RAIL can produce various types of rubber rail pads with different materials, such as natural rubber, EVA, HDPE and so on.
