The present invention relates to a rail element for a door drive, in particular of a garage door, comprising a rail and a drive means, in particular a chain or a toothed belt, wherein at a deflection end of the rail element a deflection pulley and at a drive end of the rail element a drive wheel are provided, via which the drive means is circulated, so that the drive means extends within the rail in two counterrotating strands, wherein one of the strands of the drive means is guided from the drive wheel via a deflection element into the rail, so that the distance of the two counterrotating strands of the drive means within the rail is smaller than the diameter of the drive wheel.