Top of rail

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Profile of a rail

The upper edge of the rail , abbreviated SOK or SO , is the highest line on the running surface of a rail head . The top of the rail is an important term in the railway industry as it serves as a reference point for many other information.

For example, the contact wire height for the overhead line , the clearance profile , the height of the platform edges and the height of loading ramps are specified with this reference value. In Germany and Austria, the height above sea level (m), in Switzerland and Liechtenstein meters above sea (m above sea level) of railway systems, especially at stations, is usually given in relation to the top of the rails.