In a method and a drive for starting a drive train, with a drive shaft (2), a drive motor (4) connected to an electrical grid (12) and with a differential gearing (3) with three drives and outputs, wherein one output is connected to the drive shaft (2), a first drive is connected to the drive motor (4) and a second drive is connected to a differential drive (5), the drive motor (4) is started from a rotational speed of zero or approximately zero while an external braking torque acts on the drive shaft (2), and the second drive is braked in an acceleration phase of the drive shaft (2).