How thick are the rail pads used in high-speed railways?
Dec 22, 2025
The rail pad, also known as bottom plate, is an elastic polyurethane pad assembled between the rails and sleeper to protect the top of the sleeper from wear and impact. The initial stiffness of the rail pad is not so high that the deformation of the rails under the load of the spring is very large. This mechanism ensures that the rail pad moves as close as possible to realize close contact with the track.
How thick are the rail pads used in high-speed railways?
Rail pads in high-speed railways are typically 9mm to 12mm thick for standard applications, but can be thicker (up to 20mm or more, sometimes double-layered) for heavy loads or specific ballastless track systems, focusing on superior vibration dampening and stability, with thickness carefully chosen to balance cushioning and prevent excessive rail movement, unlike lighter city lines.
Typical Thickness Ranges
- Standard High-Speed: 9mm to 12mm.
- Ballastless Tracks/Heavy-Duty: Can be 12mm to 20mm or even more, sometimes using double-layer pads (e.g., 5mm top layer + 13-17mm bottom layer) for heavy axle loads and high vibration isolation.
What is the function of rail elastic pads in railways?
Rail elastic pads function as crucial shock absorbers and vibration dampeners between rails and sleepers (ties), protecting infrastructure, reducing noise, improving ride comfort, and extending the life of track components by distributing loads and isolating impacts from passing trains. They are elastic mats (often polyurethane or rubber) that cushion the steel rail against concrete or wood sleepers, preventing damage like cracking and spalling while ensuring stability and reducing maintenance needs.
Where railway pad 're Used?
- Ballasted Tracks: Underneath the rail base plate on ballast.
- Ballastless (Slab) Tracks: In metro systems and high-speed lines for enhanced isolation.
GNEE RAIL equips 130sets machines' rail pad production line, for processing, injection, refining rubber, sulfuration , moulding and inspection etc. We have our own rail pad development engineers, designing, producing and inspecting, our annual production capacity reaching up to 2000, 000 pieces.What's more, rail pads for high-peed rail are our featured products, including both the elastic rubber plates and height adjustment pads.
Our EVA/HDPE/rubber rail pads are with high elasticity, applying to types for rails such as rail UIC54, UIC60, BS80lbs,BS100lbs, and sizes as ordered. The pads can be customized with or without grooves, in various possible designs, depending on customers' requirements.
| Raw Material | Rubber, EVA, TPEE, HDPE |
| Standard | UIC, AREMA, TB/T2626-95 |
| Application | 43kg/m, 50kg/m, 60kg/m, 75kg/m,115RE, UIC54, UIC60, S49 |
| Model number | 43-7-7, 43-10-7, 50-7-9, 50-10-9, 60-10-17, 60-12-17 |
| Operating temperature | -50~70 degrees |
| Certificate | MSDS, ROHS, REACH |
| Notes | They should be stored in a clean, ventilated place. Don't be in direct sunlight, and keep away from the heat source and chemical reagent. Don't touch the oil, organic solvent, and other chemicals. Banned exposure. |
