Railway station types in Germany explained

The railways in Germany use several abbreviations to differentiate between various types of stations, stops, railway facilities and other places of rail service.^[1]

Places with a set of points

• German: Bf – German: Bahnhof (railway station), defined as a place where trains may start, terminate, stop, overtake, meet or change directions, and that has at least one set of points. It can be additionally named after its purpose:
  • German: Hbf – German: [[Hauptbahnhof]], the main or central station of a town or city. Also the only abbreviation commonly found on station timetables and signs.
  • German: Pbf – German: Personenbahnhof (passenger station), usually used to differentiate in places that have several types of stations, but only one passenger station.
  • German: Fbf – German: Fernbahnhof (long distance station)
  • German: Gbf – German: Güterbahnhof (freight station)
  • German: Bbf – German: Betriebsbahnhof, a station only for operational tasks like train overtakes.
  • German: Rbf – German: Rangierbahnhof (marshalling yard)
  • German: Ubf – German: Umschlagbahnhof (transshipment station)
  • German: Werkbf – German: Werkbahnhof, a station serving a factory or plant.
  • German: Postbf – German: Postbahnhof (mail station)
• German: Bft – German: Bahnhofsteil (part of a station), used when a station consists of distinct facilities, for example a German: Pbf and a German: Gbf.
• German: Abzw – German: Abzweigstelle (a junction without platforms)
• German: Üst – German: [[Railroad switch#Crossover|Überleitstelle]] (crossover)
• German: Anst – German: Anschlussstelle (industrial siding outside station limits), trains using the German: Anschlussstelle must not be passed by trains running on the main line.
• German: Awanst – German: Ausweichanschlussstelle (refuge siding), an industrial siding outside station limits where trains can run on the main line while another train is shunting at the German: Ausweichanschlussstelle, in contrast to an German: Anschlussstelle.
• German: Hst – German: Haltestelle, the term for a German: Haltepunkt (see below) at the same location as an German: Abzweigstelle, German: Überleitstelle or German: Anschlussstelle/German: Ausweichanschlussstelle.
• German: Ldst – German: Ladestelle, a simplified freight station used to transship goods, nowadays mostly part of a station or categorized as German: Awanst.

Places without a set of points

• German: Hp – German: [[Haltepunkt]] (halt), a passenger stop that does not fit the requirements to be a German: Bahnhof. Defined as a place where trains can stop, start or terminate, but which has no sets of points in the vicinity.
• German: Bk – German: [[Block post#German practice|Blockstelle]] (block post), a signal box outside station limits, where there is a long distance between stations and/or junctions/crossovers, with just one signal in each direction, to allow more trains following each other (only called German: Bk if it is staffed, otherwise it is called German: Sbk – German: selbsttätige Blockstelle (automatic block post)).
• German: Dkst – German: Deckungsstelle, a signal box outside station limits which protects rail operation at danger spots like moveable bridges with its signals.

Other railway facilities

• German: Bush – German: Bushaltestelle (bus stop)
• German: Est – German: Einsatzstelle (office of the staff, locomotive depot; old/colloquial abbreviation: German: Bw for German: [[Bahnbetriebswerk]])
• German: BZ – German: Betriebszentrale/ESTW (head office of computer-based interlocking)
• German: Gp – German: Grenzpunkt, border to another railway infrastructure manager (domestic and foreign).
• German: LGr – German: Landesgrenze, border between German federated states.
• German: Schstr – German: Schutzstrecke, neutral section in an overhead line to separate two electrical supplies.
• German: Slst – German: Schiffslandestelle (ship dock)
• German: Strw – German: Streckenwechsel, change of VzG line.
• German: Tank – German: Tankanlagen (filling stations)
• German: Uw – German: Unterwerk (traction substation)
• German: Werk – German: Werk (repair shop; old/colloquial abbreviation: German: Aw or German: Raw for German: [[Ausbesserungswerk]])

Classification of railway facilities

Railway facilities in Germany are divided into three categories:^[2]

• German: Bahnanlagen der Bahnhöfe (railway facilities of the stations): e.g. station buildings, platforms, loading docks, signal boxes, goods sheds
• German: Bahnanlagen der freien Strecke (railway facilities outside station limits): German: Abzw, German: Anst, German: Awanst, German: Bk, German: Dkst, German: Hp, German: Hst, German: Üst
• German: Sonstige Bahnanlagen (other railway facilities): e.g. electrical substations, depots, repair shops

See also

• List of Deutsche Bahn station codes
• German railway station categories

Notes and References

1. Deutsche Bahn AG: Richtlinie 100.0001A01 Abkürzungen für Örtlichkeiten (status: 2016)
2. Eisenbahn-Bau- und Betriebsordnung: Bahnanlagen § 4 Begriffserklärungen