A rail boot for encasing preselected engagement portions of a rail, including a base segment, for encasing a rail foot of the rail, and field and gauge side segments connected with the base segment. The field and gauge side segments are for encasing the field and gauge sides of a rail web of the rail respectively. Also, the field side segment is formed for encasing a first preselected portion of the field side of a rail head of the rail. The gauge side segment is formed for encasing a second preselected portion of the gauge side of the rail head. The rail boot also include an outer segment extending outwardly from the gauge side segment and defining a bottom side and an outer side of a flangeway, in which flanges of rail wheels rolling along the rail are receivable.