The invention relates to a method for producing an outer wall module or an outer wall (1) or a coach body of a railway vehicle, and to an outer wall, an outer wall module, and a coach body of a railway vehicle. The following steps are provided for producing an outer wall (1) or an outer wall module: assembling 2-dimensional sheet metal parts (10, 11) having different properties (15, 16) into an outer sheet metal shell (3) designed as a self-supporting thrust area module, wherein the end faces of the sheet metal parts (10, 11) are each oriented transverse to the 2-dimensional extension of the individual sheet metal parts (10, 11) abut one another and are assembled by penetrating laser weld seams (13) in such a manner that the individual sheet metal parts (10, 11) form a flush outer surface (17) on an outer face of the thrust area module, wherein the sheet metal parts (10, 11) having different properties (15, 16) comprise first sheet metal parts (10) and second sheet metal parts (11), and the second sheet metal parts (11) each comprise a greater resistance, in particular strength and / or greater material thickness (15) than the first sheet metal parts (10), and the second sheet metal parts (11) are inserted in regions of the outer sheet metal shell (3) at which increased stresses occur during operation of the railway vehicle in a coach body produced from the outer wall module or the outer wall (1), and a structure (4) is created from rib profiles (5, 5a, 5b), wherein end face butt edges (19, 20, 21) of the rib profiles (5, 5a, 5b) adjoin the inner face (17) of the outer sheet metal shell (3) by means of T-joints, and are fastened to the outer sheet metal shell (3) by means of laser weld seams (13).