An elastic rail pad to be positioned between a tie and a rail includes a first portion to be positioned beneath a foot of the rail at the field side thereof, a second portion to be positioned beneath the rail foot at the gauge side thereof, and a connecting portion connecting the first and second portions and having a dimension in a direction parallel to the longitudinal dimension of the rail less than dimensions of the first and second portions in such direction. The first, second and connecting portions of the pad are in the form of a single, integral member formed of a relatively stiff elastomeric material having the properties of high resistance to wear and tangential shear forces, high elastic memory and elastic stability over a wide range of varying temperatures.