Bundesbahn

Bundesbahn, short for Deutsche Bundesbahn, was the state-owned railway company of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1994. It operated most passenger and freight traffic in West Germany and served as the successor to the prewar Deutsche Reichsbahn in the western zones after World War II.

Formation and role: Established in 1949, the Deutsche Bundesbahn united the Western zones' rail networks under a government-owned corporation to run national and regional services, maintain the rail infrastructure, and oversee railway construction within the FRG. In contrast, in the German Democratic Republic the Deutsche Reichsbahn remained the state railway until reunification.

Reform and dissolution: As part of the German rail reform of the early 1990s, Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn were transformed into Deutsche Bahn AG, a stock corporation majority-owned by the Federal Republic. The reform separated rail infrastructure from operations, creating distinct entities responsible for network management and for passenger and freight traffic within the new company structure.

Legacy: The Bundesbahn is a historical term referring to Germany's postwar federal railway system. Its functions and personnel trace into the present-day Deutsche Bahn AG, the national railway operator of Germany.