Ribbed elastomeric rail pad

In a rail seat of the kind in which a rail having a flange, a field edge and a gauge edge is fastened to a rail tie by a pair of rail clamps which bear down on the flange of said rail and on rail clamp supports secured to said rail tie on either side of said rail such that a portion of said rail clamps eat in said rail clamp support, and wherein a wear resistant rail pad lies between the rail tie and the rail and said pad abuts said rail to electrically and dynamically insulate said rail tie from said rail, the improvement comprising said water resistant rail pad incorporating a rib extending longitudinally of said rail, said rib comprising a long raised structure upstanding from said rail pad surface and having a width relatively narrow in relation to the length thereof and said rib being provided on a surface of the field edge portion of the rail pad to reduce intensity of pressure on the pad under the region of the field edge of the rail to reduce the tendency of the rail to cut into the rail pad.