What are the materials commonly used for railway pads

Aug 13, 2025 Leave a message

Rail pads are elastic polyurethane mats which are interposed between steel rails and railway sleepers to protect the sleeper top from wearing and impacting.

 

The starting stiffness of a rail pad is designed to not be high so that their relative deformation under the spring clip toe loads is greatly substantial. In this way, it can guarantees the rail pad maintaining in close contact with the rail despite of any vertical movements of the latter.

 

GNEE RAIL offers rail pads in a variety of materials, including HDPE, EVA, Rubber, and high-density polyurethane etc. These pads are applied to rails of UIC54, UIC60, BS80lbs, and BS100lbs sizes, and can be customized with or without grooves in various designs, depending on customer requirements.

 

rail pad

 

HDPE

 

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

 

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)

 

Rubber

 

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