Endhaltestelle

Endhaltestelle, literally “end terminal stop,” is a term used in German-speaking public transport to denote the final stop on a line where vehicles finish their outward journey and typically reverse direction to start the return trip. It is used for buses, trams, light rail, and railway services. While some Endhaltestellen function as proper stations, others are simple terminal stops on a street or at a depot edge.

Endhaltestellen vary from simple single-platform stops to more complex facilities with multiple platforms, passenger shelters, ticket machines, and connections to bus or rail depots. In rail and tram networks, the terminus is usually equipped with a turnaround arrangement such as a turning loop, a wye, or a buffer stop with crossovers to allow the vehicle to depart in the opposite direction. In some systems, trains or trams reverse by moving to a headshunt or using a turnback track; in others, vehicles operate from a depot located beyond the end point.

Operations at an Endhaltestelle often include dwell time for crew changes and for passengers to alight and board. Some termini serve as important interchanges with connections to other lines or services; in other cases they are end points with limited services. In German transport planning, Endhaltestelle distinguishes the end of a service from through stations (Durchgangsbahnhof) and from a full railway terminus (Endbahnhof). The term is common in urban transport but can also apply to railway lines with a clearly defined terminus.