Abstract: In a stock rail for use in a railroad switch, there are a rail head, a rail web and a rail foot, wherein the stock rail has a first longitudinal section forming an abutment region for a tongue rail and a second longitudinal section lying outside the abutment region, wherein the stock rail in the second longitudinal section has a cross-sectional base profile with a central axis extending through the center of the rail head cross section, wherein the rail head in the first longitudinal section is machined starting from the cross-sectional base profile so that the running edge, compared to the base profile, lies closer to the central axis of the stock rail, the rail head having substantially no width reduction at least at a first point within the first longitudinal section and having a maximum width reduction at least at a second point within the first longitudinal section, it is provided that the running edge at the first point and the running edge at the second point lie substantially in a common running edge