A method for creating a welded joint between ends of two steel rails, wherein the two steel rails have a substantially pearlitic microstructure. The method includes a first heating step, an upsetting step, a first cooling step, and a second heating step and provides a means to influence a microstructure and hardness of an austenitic region of a heat affected zone (HAZ) and/or an extent of softening in a softened region of a HAZ.