Purpose: To substantiate the relevance of conducting research on the properties of ballast materials. To describe the methodology for conducting laboratory tests and present the results of a study of the physical and mechanical properties of ballast materials for higher-speed and high-speed train traffic. To propose the design of a ballast section using used car tires. Methods: Carrying out laboratory tests of samples of gravel from basalt, granite and gabbro-diabase for abrasion in an abrasion-tester and for impact resistance in a PM drop-testing machine. Results: The weight loss has been determined after tests for abrasion in an abrasion-tester and after tests for impact strength on a drop-testing machine. The lowest weight loss has been recorded for a sample of basalt, an intermediate weight loss has been observed for a sample of gabbrodiabase, and the highest - for crushed granite. Practical significance: Basalt rocks have the lowest mass loss in both abrasion-tester and impact tests compared to gabbro-diabase and granite. The authors have proposed a variant of the ballast section design and experimentally substantiated the choice of ballast material for this design. The results obtained can be used to substantiate the choice of ballast material in the design and construction and in modeling the performance of ballast in the track.