Kleinbahn

As a small train or rare tertiary path - that is, a railway third order - a railroad was defined especially in Prussia, " which because of their minor importance for the general railway " less stringent requirements or subject to construction and operation as a main or branch line. Also built for public works or for industrial areas railways are among the small railways.

The term is defined in the "Law on small cars and private sidings of 28 July 1892 ' ( small Prussian Railway Act ), which should promote the construction of local railways by private companies. The word light railway was from the House of Representatives by a majority rather than a series of other terms - such as " local train ", " train the lowest order " or " train subordinate importance " - set because it is neither a foreign word is still has a pejorative meaning. The construction and operation of small railways carried out according to the simplified rules (for example, tracks in gravel instead of ballast ) and mostly by private companies, in which, however, in many cases the state, county or local authorities were significantly involved.

The little train law is now - been everywhere replaced by newer country railway laws - except in Berlin. The previous narrow-gauge railways are now classified as branch lines and are mostly of Railway Construction and Operating Rules. In some countries such as Germany Mecklenburg, Oldenburg and Baden, the term " small car" for orbits of small distance scale and smaller structural size was partly accepted. In Austria and partly also in the states of Baden and Bavaria you used the term local railway ( in Bavaria also Vizinalbahn ). In Saxony, however, the secondary runway was common. In everyday language, the term " small car" is often used as a synonym for narrow gauge railways or park railways. In contrast, both small railways to standard gauge ( 1435 mm ) and also be implemented in narrow gauge.

In the province of Pomerania were grouped into the Pomeranian State Railways through the kingdom Act of June 10, 1940 20 previously independent small railway companies.

Most German light railways are to be found in the list of former German railway companies.