Zügen

Zügen is the plural form of the German noun Zug and, in common use, refers to trains—railway vehicles used to transport passengers or goods. The standard plural for trains is Züge. The form Zügen appears in inflected contexts, most notably the dative plural: in den Zügen (in the trains).

Zügen also has an etymological background. Zug originates in Old High German and Middle High German from a root meaning to pull or to draw; the sense “train of connected vehicles” arose from the idea of vehicles drawn along the track by a locomotive.

Scope and types: Züge covers all rolling stock arrangements used on railways, including locomotives, carriages, and multiple units. Passenger trains include regional, intercity, and high-speed services; freight trains move goods. Modern networks rely on electric traction or diesel, and some regions operate dedicated high-speed lines. Schedules, signaling, and safety standards govern train operations and interoperability across networks.

Other meanings: Züge also means features or traits in German, as in Charakterzüge, referring to aspects of a person’s character or appearance, such as facial features or temperament. The word thus has both a transportation meaning and a broader figurative usage in everyday language.