Railway station types in Germany

The railways in Germany use several abbreviations to differentiate between various types of stops and stations.

Current usage
  • Bf – Bahnhof (railway station), defined as a place where trains may start, stop, end, overtake, meet or change directions, and that has at least one set of points.
  • Hbf – Hauptbahnhof, the main or central station of a town or city. Also the only abbreviation commonly found on station timetables and signs.
  • Pbf – Personenbahnhof (passenger station), usually used to differentiate in places that have several types of stations, but only one passenger station.
  • Fbf – Fernbahnhof (long distance station).
  • Rbf – Rangierbahnhof (marshalling yard).
    • Ubf – Umschlagbahnhof (transshipment station)
    • Postbf – Postbahnhof (mail station)
  • Gbf – Güterbahnhof (freight station).
  • Bbf – Betriebsbahnhof.
  • Bft – Bahnhofsteil (part of a station), used when a station consists of distinct facilities, for example a Pbf and a Rbf.
  • Hp – Haltepunkt, (halt) a passenger stop that does not fit the requirements to be a Bf. Defined as a place where trains can start, stop, terminate or reverse, and passengers can board and alight from trains, but which has no sets of points in the vicinity.
  • Hst – Haltestelle, the term for a Haltepunkt at the same location as an Abzweigstelle or an Anschlussstelle (see below).

Other abbreviations

These are not real stations per se, but sometimes are the result of transforming a derelict station:

  • Abzw – Abzweigstelle (a junction without platforms)
  • Anst – Anschlußstelle (industrial siding outside station limits at branch lines). To avoid accidents, trains using an Anst must not be passed by trains running on the main line.
  • Awanst – Ausweichanschlußstelle (refuge siding), an industrial siding outside the station limits where trains can run on the main line while another train is shunting at the siding.
  • Bk – Blockstelle 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 Bk if mechanical signal boxes are used)
  • Slst– Schiffslandestelle (ship's dock)
  • Üst – Überleitstelle (crossover)
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