A circuit arrangement for centrally controlled telecommunication switching systems, including PCM-telephone switching systems wherein a central switching matrix serving for the interconnection, together with a program controlled central processor serving, at least, for its control and the required switch identifier processing, and wherein a multiplicity of local trunk line groups, each group with a sub-switching matrix for the connection of external trunk and/or subscriber lines, and equipped with a local programmable control unit for the reception of switch identifiers from said lines, for switch identifier pre-processing as well as for forwarding switch identifiers to the central processor and for the transmission of switch identifiers on said lines is provided, and wherein sub-switching matrices within these trunk line groups are internally connected via groups of link lines, separated in groups, with switching terminations of the central switching matrix, and wherein the line trunk groups are allocated to each other in pairs, wherein line units, primarily connected to their sub-switching matrix and within the respective line trunk group serving for the external connection of subscriber and/or trunk lines, are switchable in a manner wherein the line units of respectively a first of these two line trunk groups is additionally switched to the sub-switching matrix of the respective other, of a respective second line trunk group, whereupon the corresponding switch identifier processing as well as the sub-switching matrix setting for the calls to be interconnected via the switched-over line units is likewise executed by the local control unit of the other, second line trunk group, characterized in that, in preparation for a switch-over within each of said pairs of line trunk groups allocated to each other in pairs, each of the two appertaining local control units provide call data, relative to all existing calls via the respective allocated sub-switching matrix, regarding which external sub-switching matrix circuit is respectively connected with which internal sub-switching matrix circuit, which are transmitted via respective local transmission paths of the line trunk pairs to the respective corresponding associated control units, and that each of the local control units establishes individual partial connections in conjunction with said call data transmitted to and received by them via the sub-switching matrix of the appertaining allocated line trunk group respectively between internal sub-switching matrix circuits and external sub-switching matrix circuits, wherein such external sub-switching matrix circuits with which the line circuits of the respective associated line trunk groups are connectable through a switch-over on the one hand and such internal sub-switching matrix circuits with which the line units of the respective associated line trunk group are connectable through said switch-over, on the other hand.