The approximately 5,400 railway stations in Germany that are owned and operated by the Deutsche Bahn subsidiary DB InfraGO are divided into seven categories, denoting the service level available at the station.

This categorisation influences the amount of money railway companies need to pay to DB Station&Service for using the facilities at the stations.

The 21 stations in Category 1 are considered traffic hubs. They are permanently staffed and carry all sorts of railway-related facilities, as well as usually featuring a shopping mall in the station. Many are the main station (German: Hauptbahnhof or Hbf) of larger cities. However, some are located in smaller cities, such as Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof, and are regarded as important because they are at the junction of important railway lines. Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, the four biggest cities in Germany, have more than one Category 1 station.

Included in this category are the following stations:

Most of the 87-odd stations in Category 2 are either important junctions for long-distance traffic or offer connections to large airports. InterCity and EuroCity trains generally call at these stations. All railway-related services, like a ticket hall and a service desk, are present at the station and the station is staffed at most times trains are running. The service is similar to Category 1 stations.

Category 2 stations, by state, are:

There are 239 Category 3 stations. These stations usually feature a hall where travellers can buy tickets and groceries, but they are not permanently staffed. Often they serve as main stations of towns with about 50,000 inhabitants.

Examples include Görlitz station, Reutlingen, Lichtenfels, Passau Hbf and Mülheim (Ruhr) Hbf.