SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/de-gleis

A German station announcement says 'Gleis 7'. What does that number tell you?

Gleis 7 means track seven.

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  1. Which seat to take
  2. Which ticket price you paid
  3. Which track your train leaves from ✔

Why: Gleis means track. German and Swiss stations announce each train by its track number, so Gleis 7 tells you where to wait.

Huh, didn't know that: A platform, called a Bahnsteig, usually serves one or two tracks and is not numbered itself.

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Why is the railroad angry? Because people are always crossing it!
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References

Answer: Which track your train leaves from. Gleis means track. German and Swiss stations announce each train by its track number, so Gleis 7 tells you where to wait.

  1. Wiktionary: Gleis en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gleis
    In German and Swiss train stations, trains are announced as leaving from a numbered track, not a platform.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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