What are rubber pads used for?

Author : | Last Updated : 2025-12-17

Rail rubber pads are elastic cushions placed under railway tracks (between rail and sleeper/tie) to absorb shock, dampen vibration, reduce noise, protect sleepers from wear, and improve passenger comfort by providing elasticity, ensuring track stability, and extending the life of the rail system.

Key Functions OF Railway Pad

Vibration & Shock Absorption: Dampen impacts from passing trains, reducing structural vibration and noise.
Sleepers Protection: Prevent wear, fatigue cracking, and cutting of concrete or wooden sleepers from the rail’s impact.
Elasticity: Increase track elasticity, improving ride comfort and load distribution.
Electrical Insulation: Provide electrical isolation for signaling systems, depending on the pad type.
Stability: Maintain close contact with the rail despite vertical movement and prevent rail shifting.
Durability: Made from materials like rubber, polyurethane, or EVA, they resist abrasion, aging, and temperature extremes, offering long service life.

Where They’re Used

Standard ballasted tracks (under-rail)
Railway crossings
Bridges
Turnouts (switches)
Crane rails (for industrial applications)

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

GNEE RAIL have developed a range of high-performance elastic rail pads for stiffness requirements and various application areas-from trams through standard gauge railways to heavy haul lines, especially those for E-type rail fastening systems and SKL type rail fastening systems with material of HDPE/EVA/Rubber, with following properties respectively.

Rubber Rail Pad
Rubber Rail Pad			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

HDPE Rail Pad
HDPE Rail Pad				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)

EVA: Polyethylene 80%, Vinyl Acetate 20%.
EVA: Polyethylene 80%, Vinyl Acetate 20%.				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)

GNEE RAIL is equipped with rail pad production lines for 130sets of machines, for the whole process of injection, refining rubber, sulfuration, moulding and inspection, etc. We own the most engineers for rail pad development, design, production and inspection, with annual production capacity reaching up to 2000, 000 pieces.

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.