Handover group

A transfer group is a track system that connects the national railway network with a private connecting railway (for example an industrial mainline ), a works railway , a port railway or a tram of the same gauge . It is used for freight traffic and enables groups of wagons and trains to be exchanged between the state railway and the respective, mostly non-state, operators of the sidings.

Transfer groups are always necessary when both railways handle the traffic with their own locomotives, but these cannot or may not be transferred to the other railroad.

The scope and configuration of a transfer group depends on the number of cars to be handled. In the simplest case, a transfer group consists of a track for wagons to be transferred, a track for wagons to be taken over and a transfer track for traction vehicles. Often a pull-out track is also part of the layout. The switches of the transfer group are usually manually operated. The transfer group is operated as a shunting drive .

In the case of more extensive systems with a high volume of traffic and remote switches, one usually speaks of a transfer station .