A bale press by means of which bulk material, especially cardboard boxes, grass or the like, filled into a pressing space of the bale press is compressed by means of a pressing punch, consisting of - at least two pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) arranged one after the other, each of which has two pressure spaces (7, 8) separated from one another and a piston that can be extended in a telescoping movement, in which the first pressure cylinder (3, 4) is arranged between a frame of the bale press and a carriage mounted in a movable arrangement in the bale press, and the second pressure cylinder (5, 6) is arranged between the carriage and the pressing punch, - a driving means (12, 13, 14) such as a pump by means of which a medium passes through a plurality of lines and alternately fills the particular pressure spaces (7 or 8) of the first and second pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) so as to move them forwards towards the press frame and back to their initial position, in which a first line system is provided for the advance movement of the two pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) arranged one after the other, and a second line system is provided for the return movement of the pressure cylinders (3, 4 or 5, 6), with the line systems (A, B) being separated from one another and each connected to the driving means (12, 13, 14), characterised in that, the particular line system (A, B) is integrated into the particular pressure cylinder (3, 4, 5, 6) and that the connection between the pressure spaces (7 or 8) is made by means of the lines which are firmly connected to the particular pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) and that two pairs (I, II) of pressure cylinders (3, 4 or 5, 6) are connected one after the other, that one of the pressure cylinders of the first pair features the line system for moving the pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) forwards towards the pressing space and that the other pressure cylinder (5, 6) of the first pair features the line system for moving the two pairs (I, II) of pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) back to their initial position. - at least two pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) arranged one after the other, each of which has two pressure spaces (7, 8) separated from one another and a piston that can be extended in a telescoping movement, in which the first pressure cylinder (3, 4) is arranged between a frame of the bale press and a carriage mounted in a movable arrangement in the bale press, and the second pressure cylinder (5, 6) is arranged between the carriage and the pressing punch, - a driving means (12, 13, 14) such as a pump by means of which a medium passes through a plurality of lines and alternately fills the particular pressure spaces (7 or 8) of the first and second pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) so as to move them forwards towards the press frame and back to their initial position, in which a first line system is provided for the advance movement of the two pressure cylinders (3, 4, 5, 6) arranged one after the other, and a second line system is provided for the return movement of the pressure cylinders (3, 4 or 5, 6), with the line systems (A, B) being separated from one another and each connected to the driving means (12, 13, 14),