German word

Bundesbahn

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbʊndəsˌbaːn/

Meaning

  • feminine nounFederal Railways

Example

Nach dem Krieg waren die Bundesbahnen wichtig für den Wiederaufbau.

After the war, the Federal Railways were important for reconstruction.

Illustration for Bundesbahn (Federal Railways)

More examples

Er hat früher bei der Bundesbahn gearbeitet.

He used to work for the Federal Railways.

Core concept

Trains and railway infrastructure brought under one national federal authority.

Common phrases

  • bei der Bundesbahn arbeiten

    work for the Federal Railways

  • die Bundesbahn privatisieren

    privatize the Federal Railways

Similar words

Eisenbahn: The general rail system of tracks, trains, and related infrastructure.
Staatsbahn: A state-run railway managed and operated by a national government.
Deutsche Bahn: The main company currently operating rail services in Germany.

Definition in German

Bundesbahn bezeichnet allgemein eine staatlich organisierte nationale Eisenbahn und kann speziell als Eigenname der früheren Deutschen Bundesbahn verstanden werden.

Word origin

The compound Bundesbahn joins Bundes-, the combining form of Bund, with Bahn, a Germanic word for a path or railway.

Usage tips

  • In historical texts, Deutsche Bundesbahn refers to the former West German railway, whereas Deutsche Bahn is the current company name.

Opposites

  • Privatbahnprivate railwaynoun

Related words

  • BundesbahnerFederal Railways employeenoun
  • BundesbahnreformFederal Railways reformnoun

Word lists with this word