Maschen is a village in the municipality of Seevetal in Harburg district in the German state of Lower Saxony. It lies south of Hamburg on the northern edge of the Lüneburg Heath and within the commuter zone of the city of Hamburg. Maschen Marshalling Yard is the largest of its kind in Europe and the second biggest in the world. It was opened in 1977. With its 9,266 inhabitants, Maschen is the second largest village in Seevetal.