Described is a system for milking animals, including cows, having an accommodation space in which the animals can walk around, and several stationary milking stations placed next to each other. Each milking station at a head end thereof includes a neck lock device which can be moved by way of an actuator device between a locked state in which a milking animal in said milking station can be locked at the neck by said neck lock device, and an open state in which a milking animal in said milking station is free to move its head in and/or out of the neck lock device. Also included is an automatic milking system for the automatic milking of milking animals and a control system that is actively connected to the actuator device of each neck lock device.