# List of the first German railways to 1870

List of the first German railways to 1870 with German railways ordered by date of the commissioning the first phase of construction. For context see History of rail transport in Germany.
| Year | day month | from | to | via / date of completion and length of route / rail company |
| 1831 | 20 September | Essen-Kupferdreh | Nierenhof near Langenberg | Horse drawn and narrow gauge, Prince William Railway Company. In 1847 converted to steam power and standard gauge, ca. 30 km, Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr railway |
| 1835 | 7 December | Nuremberg | Fürth | First German railway operated by steam, 6 km, Bavarian Ludwig Railway, initially 75% of trains horse drawn, 25% steam powered |
| 1837 | 24 April | Leipzig | Dresden | Riesa, until 1839, 117 km, Leipzig–Dresden Railway Company, first German long-distance railway, first steam only railway in Germany, included first standard gauge rail tunnel in continental Europe |
| 1838 | 22 September | Berlin | Potsdam | Zehlendorf, 26.4 km, Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway, first steam railway in Prussia |
| 1838 | 1 December | Brunswick | Harzburg | Wolfenbüttel, until 1841, 47 km, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway (first German state railway), Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway |
| 1838 | 20 December | Düsseldorf Rheinknie | Elberfeld (now Wuppertal) | Erkrath, until 1841, 26.7 km, Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company, Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway |
| 1839 | 29 June | Magdeburg | Leipzig | Cöthen, Halle, until 1840, 119 km, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway, first line crossing more than one state |
| 1839 | 2 August | Cologne | Herbesthal (national border) | Müngersdorf, Lövenich, Düren, Aachen, until 1843, 86 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Cologne–Aachen line |
| 1839 | 1 September | Munich | Augsburg | Until 1840, 62 km, Munich–Augsburg Railway Company, Munich–Augsburg line |
| 1839 | 26 September | Frankfurt am Main | Wiesbaden | Höchst, Kastel, until 1840, 44 km, Taunus line |
| 1840 | 1 September | Berlin | Köthen | Wittenberg, Dessau, until 1841, 153 km, Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company, Berlin–Wittenberg, Wittenberg–Dessau, Dessau–Köthen lines |
| 1840 | 12 September | Mannheim | Haltingen | Karlsruhe, Freiburg, until 1851, 285 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, until 1855 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge, Rhine Valley Railway |
| 1842 | 7 May | Hamburg | Bergedorf | 16.5 km, Hamburg-Bergedorf Railway Company |
| 1842 | 1 August | Berlin | Szczecin | Until 1843, 135 km, Berlin-Stettin Railway |
| 1842 | 19 September | Leipzig | Hof (Saale) | Reichenbach, Werdau, until 1851, 165 km, Saxon-Bavarian Railway, from 1847 Royal Saxon State Railways |
| 1842 | 23 October | Berlin | Frankfurt (Oder) | 81 km, Berlin-Frankfurt (Oder) Railway |
| 1843 | 10 July | Wolfenbüttel | Oschersleben | Jerxheim, 52 km, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Wolfenbüttel–Helmstedt line, Oschersleben–Jerxheim line |
| 1843 | 15 July | Magdeburg | Halberstadt | Oschersleben, 58 km, Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company, Magdeburg–Thale line |
| 1843 | 22 October | Hanover | Brunswick | Lehrte, Peine, until 1844, 61 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Hanover–Brunswick line |
| 1844 | 15 February | Cologne-Klettenberg | Rolandseck | Brühl, Bonn, until 1856, 45 km, Bonn-Cologne Railway Company, Bonn-Cologne line |
| 1844 | 18 September | Altona | Kiel | 106 km, Altona-Kiel Railway Company, Hamburg-Altona–Kiel line |
| 1844 | 1 October | Hof | Lindau | Nuremberg, Kempten, until 1853, 548 km, Ludwig South-North Railway, Royal Bavarian State Railways |
| 1844 | 19 October | Frankfurt (Oder) | Wrocław | Legnica, Bolesławiec, until 1846, 277 km, Lower Silesian-Markish Railway |
| 1845 | 20 July | Elmshorn | Glückstadt | 17 km, Glückstadt-Elmshorn Railway Company, Marsh Railway (extended to Itzehoe on 15 October 1857) |
| 1845 | 18 September | Neumünster | Rendsburg | 34 km, Rendsburg-Neumünster Railway Company |
| 1845 | 15 October | Lehrte | Celle | 28 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Lehrte–Celle line |
| 1845 | 22 October | Bruchsal | Friedrichshafen | Stuttgart, Ulm, until 1853, 275 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Fils Valley line, Western Railway, Southern Railway |
| 1845 | 17 November | Dresden | Görlitz | Löbau, Bautzen, until 1847, 102 km, Saxon-Silesian Railway Company (built together with branch from Löbau to Zittau, opened 1848, 34 km) |
| 1845 | 20 December | Cologne-Deutz | Minden | Duisburg, Dortmund, until 1847, 263 km, Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Cologne-Minden trunk line |
| 1846 | 6 June | Halle (Saale) | Gerstungen | Weißenfels, Erfurt, Eisenach, in parts till 1849, 211 km, Thuringian Railway Company (from Gerstungen Frederick William Northern Railway Company), Thuringian line |
| 1846 | 12 June | Lehrte | Nordstemmen | Hildesheim, until 1853, 36.1 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Lehrte–Nordstemmen line |
| 1846 | 22 June | Frankfurt am Main | Heidelberg | Darmstadt, 88 km, Main-Neckar Railway |
| 1846 | 7 August | Potsdam | Magdeburg | Brandenburg, 117 km, Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway |
| 1846 | 30 August | Köthen | Bernburg | 21 km, Anhalt-Köthen-Bernburg Railway Company, extended to Aschersleben and Wegeleben (47 km) in 1865, Köthen–Aschersleben, Halle–Halberstadt lines |
| 1846 | 15 October | Berlin | Bergedorf | 268 km, Berlin-Hamburg Railway Company |
| 1847 | 1 May | Hagenow | Rostock | Schwerin, Bad Kleinen, Bützow, including branch from Bützow to Güstrow, until 1850, 105 km, Mecklenburg Railway Company, Hagenow Land–Schwerin, Ludwigslust–Wismar, Bad Kleinen–Rostock lines |
| 1847 | 1 May | Frankfurt am Main / Höchst | Bad Soden am Taunus | 6.6 km, Soden Company |
| 1847 | 22 May | Celle | Harburg | Uelzen, 127 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanover–Hamburg line |
| 1847 | 11 June | Ludwigshafen | Bexbach | Schifferstadt, Neustadt, Homburg, until 1849, ~115 km, Palatine Ludwig Railway Company, Palatine Ludwig Railway; extended by Saarbrücken Railway to Saarbrücken and Forbach by 1852 (~35 km); bridge opened to Mannheim in 1867 |
| 1847 | 11 June | Schifferstadt | Speyer | 9.1 km, Palatine Ludwig Railway Company, Schifferstadt–Wörth line; extended to Germersheim (13.4 km) in 1864 and Wörth am Rhein (27.4 km) in 1876 |
| 1847 | 29 August | Riesa | Chemnitz | 66 km, until 1852, Chemnitz-Riesa Railway Company, later Royal Saxon State Railways |
| 1847 | 9 October | Elberfeld | Dortmund | Hagen, until 1849, 58 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Elberfeld–Dortmund line |
| 1847 | 15 October | Hanover | Minden | Wunstorf, Stadthagen, 64 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanover–Minden line |
| 1847 | 12 December | Bremen | Wunstorf | 101 km, Verden, Nienburg, Royal Hanoverian State Railways and Bremen State Railway, Bremen–Hanover line |
| 1848 | 9 March | Frankfurt am Main | Offenbach am Main | 4.7 km, Frankfurt-Offenbach Local Railway |
| 1848 | 30 March | Grebenstein | Bad Karlshafen | Hümme, until 29 August, 48 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, Kassel–Warburg line, Carl line |
| 1848 | 26 May | Hamm | Münster | 36 km, Münster-Hamm Railway Company |
| 1848 | 28 May | Fröttstädt | Waltershausen | 3.77 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Friedrichroda line |
| 1848 | 25 July | Bietigheim | Heilbronn | 29 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, first section of 179.7 km-long Franconia Railway to Würzburg, finished in 1869 |
| 1848 | 1 August | Dresden | Bohemian border | Pirna, until 1851, 51 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Dresden–Děčín railway |
| 1848 | 29 August | Bebra | Kassel | 56 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, Frederick William Northern line |
| 1848 | 10 September | Frankfurt am Main | Hanau | 16.4 km, Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company |
| 1848 | 1 October | Jüterbog | Riesa | 79 km, Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company, Jüterbog–Riesa line |
| 1848 | 14 October | Oberhausen | Ruhrort | 9 km, Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Oberhausen–Duisburg-Ruhrort line |
| 1849 | 6 March | Hümme | Warburg | 20.2 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, Diemel Valley line |
| 1849 | 7 July | Magdeburg | Wittenberge | 109.1 km, Stendal, Seehausen, Magdeburg-Wittenberge Railway Company |
| 1849 | 25 September | Bebra | Gerstungen | 21.3 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, the western section of the Thuringian Railway |
| 1849 | 15 October | Homberg | Mönchengladbach | Viersen, until 1851, 42 km, Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company, Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mönchengladbach line (Ruhrort-Homberg train ferry, opened 1852) |
| 1849 | 29 December | Kassel | Frankfurt am Main | Marburg, Gießen, until 1852, 199 km, Main-Weser Railway |
| 1850 | 4 October | Hamm | Warburg | Soest, Paderborn, until 1853, 130 km, Royal Westphalian Railway Company, Hamm–Warburg line |
| 1851 | 15 October | Lübeck | Büchen | 47 km, Lübeck-Büchen Railway Company, Lübeck–Lüneburg line, extended to Lauenburg (12 km) by Berlin-Hamburg Railway Company on 15 October 1851 and Lüneburg (17 km) by Royal Hanoverian State Railways on 15 March 1864, initially using the Lauenburg–Hohnstorf train ferry |
| 1852 | 1 August | Bamberg | Aschaffenburg | Schweinfurt, Würzburg until 1854, 205 km, Ludwig's Western Railway, Royal Bavarian State Railways |
| 1852 | 6 August | Bromberg | Königsberg | Dirschau, Marienburg, until 1857, 283 km, Prussian Eastern Railway, first railway bridge with a span of more than 100 metres |
| 1852 | 12 August | Oberkassel | Belgian border | Neuss, Mönchengladbach, Aachen, until 1854, 64 km, Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company, Aachen–Mönchengladbach and Mönchengladbach–Düsseldorf lines |
| 1853 | 23 March | Mainz | Ludwigshafen | Worms 67.3 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway, Mainz–Ludwigshafen railway |
| 1853 | 1 May | Hanover | Kassel | Alfeld, Kreiensen, Göttingen, until 1856, 166 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanoverian Southern Railway |
| 1853 | 26 September | Ulm | Kufstein | Augsburg, Munich, Rosenheim, until 1858, 190 km, Bavarian Maximilian's Railway, Royal Bavarian State Railways |
| 1853 | 28 November | Bayreuth | Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg | 21 km, first leased railway in Bavaria (built by Bayreuth city), Bayreuth–Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg line |
| 1854 | 1 April | Flensburg | Tönning | Ohrstedt; ~110 km (including branch from Ohrstedt to Rendsburg opened on 25 October 1854); Flensburg-Husum-Tönning Railway Company (Frederik den Syvendes Sydslesvigske Jernbane, Danish at that time); sections of Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines; Husum–Tönning line |
| 1854 | 21 May | Pasing | Planegg | 6.7 km, extended to Starnberg (28 November 1854) and Weilheim (36 km from Pasing, 1 February 1866), operated by Royal Bavarian State Railways, Munich–Garmisch-Partenkirchen line |
| 1854 | 22 June | Hanau | Aschaffenburg | 8.9 km, Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company, Main–Spessart railway |
| 1854 | 24 November | Emden | Löhne | Papenburg, Lingen, Rheine, Osnabrück, by 1856, 264 km, Hanoverian Western Railway, Royal Hanoverian State Railways |
| 1855 | 20 February | Haltingen | Waldshut | Basel, Säckingen, until 1859, 62 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, High Rhine line |
| 1855 | 18 June | Dresden | Werdau | Chemnitz, Glauchau, Zwickau, until 1869, 136 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Dresden–Werdau line; branches: Glauchau–Gößnitz line (12 km), opened 15 November 1858 and Zwickau–Schwarzenberg line (38 km), opened 15 May 1858. |
| 1855 | 9 July | Dortmund | Soest | Unna, 54 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Dortmund–Soest line |
| 1855 | 15 November | Cologne | Krefeld | 53.6 km, Cöln-Crefeld Railway Company |
| 1856 | 22 March | Leipzig | Großkorbetha | Markranstädt, 31.21 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Leipzig–Großkorbetha line |
| 1856 | 23 June | Münster | Rheine | 39 km, Royal Westphalian Railway Company, Münster–Rheine line |
| 1856 | 1 July | Oberhausen | Dutch border | Wesel, Emmerich, 73 km, Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Oberhausen–Arnhem line |
| 1856 | 5 August | Börßum | Kreiensen | Salzgitter-Bad, 61 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Brunswick Southern Railway |
| 1856 | 11 August | Wiesbaden | Niederlahnstein | Rüdesheim, until, 1864, 88 km, Nassau Rhine and Lahn Railway Company, from 1861: Nassau State Railway, East Rhine line; 5 km extension by Prussian railways to Ehrenbreitstein in 1864; 70 km extension to Troisdorf opened by Rhenish Railway Company 1869–1871 |
| 1857 | 17 August | Dessau | Halle/Leipzig | Bitterfeld, until 1859 (Wittenberg), 125 km, Berlin-Anhalt Railway, Dessau-Leipzig line |
| 1858 | 21 January | Rolandseck | Bingerbrück | Remagen, Koblenz, until 1859, 103.7 km, Rhenish Railway Company, West Rhine line |
| 1858 | 1 June | Koblenz | Wetzlar | Oberlahnstein, Limburg, until 1863, 107 km, Nassau Rhine and Lahn Railway Company, later Nassau State Railway, Lahntal railway |
| 1858 | 15 July | Bingerbrück | Neunkirchen | Bad Kreuznach, until 1860, 121 km, Rhine-Nahe line |
| 1858 | 1 August | Mainz | Aschaffenburg | Darmstadt, 34 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Rhine-Main line |
| 1858 | 1 November | Eisenach | Coburg | Lichtenfels, Coburg, until 151 km, Werra Railway Company |
| 1858 | 1 November | Coburg | Sonneberg | Neustadt bei Coburg, 19.49 km, Werra Railway Company, Coburg–Sonneberg line |
| 1858 | 3 November | Munich | Nuremberg | Landshut, Geiselhöring, Regensburg, Schwandorf, Amberg, Neukirchen, Hersbruck, until 1859, 289 km (including branch to Straubing), Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Munich–Regensburg, Neufahrn–Radldorf, Regensburg–Passau, Regensburg–Weiden, Weiden–Hof, Nuremberg–Schwandorf lines |
| 1858 | 16 December | Saarbrücken | Trier | Until 1860, 111 km Saarbrücken Railway, Saar line |
| 1859 | 1 January | Cologne-Deutz | Gießen | Until 1862, 183 km (including branch to Siegen), Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Deutz–Gießen line |
| 1859 | 2 February | Weißenfels | Zeitz | Teuchern, 31.25 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Weißenfels–Zeitz line |
| 1859 | 19 March | Zeitz | Gera | Crossen an der Elster, 28.20 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Leipzig–Gera–Saalfeld line |
| 1859 | 21 March | Hagen | Siegen | Altena, until 1861, 106 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Ruhr–Sieg line |
| 1859 | 1 July | Gunzenhausen | Würzburg | Ansbach, until 1864, 116 km, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Treuchtlingen–Würzburg line |
| 1859 | 18 August | Waldshut | Koblenz, Switzerland | Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, connection to the first railway bridge over the Rhine, largest span of 52 metres |
| 1859 | 19 August | Witten | Duisburg | Bochum, Essen, until 1862, 58 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Witten–Duisburg line |
| 1859 | 20 September | Plochingen | Villingen | Tübingen, Rottweil, until 1869, 113 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Plochingen–Immendingen railway, Rottweil–Villingen railway |
| 1859 | 15 October | Cologne-Deutz | Cologne | Cathedral Bridge (Dombrücke), Cologne-Minden Railway Company, The first railway bridge over the Rhine north of Switzerland, first connection between western and central European rail network |
| 1860 | 7 May | Rosenheim | Salzburg | Traunstein, 84 km, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Rosenheim–Salzburg line |
| 1860 | 10 September | Frankfurt am Main | Bad Homburg | 19 km, Homburg Railway Company |
| 1860 | 20 September | Straubing | Passau-Voglau | Until 1861, 77 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Regensburg–Passau line |
| 1860 | 1 December | Borsdorf | Coswig | Until, 1868, 104 km, Leipzig–Dresden Railway Company, Borsdorf–Coswig line |
| 1861 | 7 January | Schwandorf | Furth im Wald | Until 20 September, 67 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Schwandorf–Furth im Wald line |
| 1861 | 25 July | Cannstatt | Nördlingen | Aalen, until 1863, 111 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Rems Railway |
| 1862 | 23 January | Bremen | Bremerhaven | 62 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways and Bremen State Railway, Bremen–Bremerhaven railway |
| 1862 | 7 June | Basel | Schopfheim | 20 km, Wiesenthal Railway Company, Wiese Valley Railway |
| 1862 | 4 August | Heilbronn | Crailsheim | Until 1867, Schwäbisch Hall, 88 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Hohenlohe Railway |
| 1862 | 23 October | Heidelberg | Würzburg | Moosbach, Osterburken, till 1866, 120 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Odenwald line |
| 1863 | 3 January | Bischofsheim | Frankfurt am Main–Niederrad | 23.6 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Main line |
| 1863 | 3 March | Krefeld | Zevenaar, Netherlands | Geldern, Kleve, till 1865, 75 km, Rhenish Railway Company, West Lower Rhine line, Spyck–Welle train ferry |
| 1863 | 15 March | Angermünde | Stralsund | 170 km, Berlin-Stettin Railway Company, Angermünde–Stralsund line, as well as Szczecin–Pasewalk line (41.8 km) |
| 1863 | 1 June | Karlsruhe | Mühlacker | 43.5 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Karlsruhe–Mühlacker line |
| 1863 | 15 June | Waldshut | Konstanz | 89 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, High Rhine Railway |
| 1863 | 1 October | Irrenlohe | Bayreuth | Weiden, until 1 December, 98 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Regensburg–Weiden line, Weiden–Bayreuth line |
| 1863 | 1 November | Roßlau | Zerbst | 13 km, Anhalt Leopold Railway |
| 1864 | 15 August | Weiden | Cheb | Mitterteich, until 15 October 1865, 60 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Weiden–Oberkotzau line, Wiesau–Cheb line |
| 1864 | 21 September | Wendlingen | Kirchheim | 6.5 km, Kirchheim Railway Company |
| 1864 | 13 September | Aalen | Heidenheim | 22.1 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Brenz Railway, completed to Ulm in 1876 |
| 1864 | 1 October | Altenbeken | Kreiensen | 93 km, until 1865, Royal Westphalian Railway Company, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Altenbeken–Kreiensen line |
| 1864 | 6 October | Düren | Trier | Euskirchen, Gerolstein, until 1871, 111 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Börde Railway, Eifel Railway |
| 1864 | 11 November | Güstrow | Pasewalk | Strasburg, 140 km, until 1867, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg Friedrich-Franz Railway, Berlin-Stettin Railway Company, Bützow–Szczecin line |
| 1865 | 6 May | Neustadt | Bad Dürkheim | 15 km, Neustadt-Dürkheim Railway Company, Palatine Northern Railway |
| 1865 | 1 August | Hamburg | Lübeck | 64 km, Lübeck-Büchen Railway, Lübeck–Hamburg railway |
| 1865 | 1 September | Halle (Saale) | Eichenberg | Eisleben, Nordhausen, Leinefelde, 167 km, until 1867, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company, Halle–Kassel railway |
| 1865 | 23 October | Brunn (Saxony) | Greiz | Branch line of the Saxon-Bavarian Railway to Greiz, 9.75 km, Greiz-Brunn Railway Company |
| 1865 | 1 November | Herlasgrün | Oelsnitz | Falkenstein, Saxony, 47 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Voigtland State Railway (Herlasgrün–Oelsnitz and Plauen–Cheb lines) |
| 1865 | 1 November | Cheb (Eger) | Oberkotzau | Aš, 54.8 km, City of Hof, Cheb–Oberkotzau railway |
| 1865 | 28 December | Gößnitz | Gera | Schmölln, Ronneburg, 35 km, Gößnitz-Gera Railway Company |
| 1866 | 18 January | Hagen | Hamm | Unna, 48 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Hagen–Hamm line |
| 1866 | 22 January | Frankfurt am Main | Bebra | Hanau, Elm, until 1914, 210 km, Frankfurt–Bebra Railway |
| 1866 | 29 January | Viersen | Venlo | 23.4 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Viersen–Venlo line |
| 1866 | 1 February | Flöha | Annaberg-Buchholz | 43.5 km, Saxon State Railways, Annaberg-Buchholz–Flöha railway |
| 1866 | 31 May | Neumünster | Neustadt | Ascheberg, Eutin (including the connections to Kiel), 110 km, Altona-Kiel Railway Company, Neumünster–Ascheberg line, Kiel–Lübeck line, Eutin–Neustadt line |
| 1866 | 2 July | Offenburg | Haussach | 33 km, the start of the Black Forest Railway, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, |
| 1866 | 1 September | Osterrath | Wattenscheid | Mülheim-Saarn, Essen-Nord, until 1867, 43 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Osterath–Dortmund Süd line (including Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry) |
| 1866 | 6 September | Villingen | Singen | Until 1869, 63 km, the southern part of the Black Forest Railway, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway |
| 1866 | 13 September | Berlin | Görlitz | Cottbus, until 1867, 208 km, Berlin-Görlitz Railway Company |
| 1866 | 1 October | Berlin | Kostrzyn | Until 1867, 85 km, Prussian Eastern Railway |
| 1866 | 15 November | Goldshöfe | Crailsheim | 30.4 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Upper Jagst Railway |
| 1866 | 15 December | Eberswalde | Wriezen | Until 1867, 30 km, Berlin-Stettin Railway Company, Eberswalde–Frankfurt (Oder) line |
| 1867 | 14 January | Neukieritzsch | Borna | 6.8 km, Saxon-Bavarian Railway Company, Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz line; extended by 55.7 to Chemnitz in 1872 |
| 1867 | 29 January | Gruiten | Deutz | 35 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Gruiten–Köln-Deutz line |
| 1867 | 16 May | Bremen | Wilhelmshaven/Leer | Oldenburg, until 1869, 152 km, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways, Prussian State Railways, Bremen–Oldenburg line, Wilhelmshaven–Oldenburg line, Oldenburg–Leer line |
| 1867 | 19 May | Altona | Blankenese | 9 km, Altona-Kiel Railway Company, Altona–Blankenese line |
| 1867 | 14 July | Neudietendorf | Arnstadt | 9.94 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Neudietendorf–Ritschenhausen line |
| 1867 | 20 July | Radolfzell | Mengen | Until 1870, 57 km, Baden State Railway, Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway |
| 1867 | | Munich | Ingolstadt | 81 km, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Munich–Treuchtlingen line |
| 1867 | 25 September | Ohligs Wald | Solingen Weyersberg | 5.6 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen line |
| 1867 | 23 December | Kempen | Venlo | 23 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Kempen–Venlo line |
| 1868 | 13 January | Ulm | Donaueschingen | Sigmaringen, Tuttlingen, until 1890, 100 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Ulm–Sigmaringen railway, Tuttlingen–Inzigkofen railway |
| 1868 | 1 May | Jerxheim | Börßum | 23.2 km, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Jerxheim–Börßum line |
| 1868 | 11 June | Pforzheim | Bad Wildbad | 19.8 km, Baden State Railway, Enz Valley Railway |
| 1868 | 25 June | Meckesheim | Jagstfeld | Bad Rappenau, until 1869, 36.4 km, Baden State Railway, Elsenz Valley Railway |
| 1868 | 1 September | Barmen-Rittershausen | Remscheid | 17.8 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Opladen railway |
| 1868 | 23 September | Zuffenhausen | Ditzingen | Until 1872, 48.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Black Forest Railway (Württemberg) |
| 1868 | 1 December | Northeim | Nordhausen | Herzberg am Harz, Bad Sachsa, until 1869, 69 km, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company, South Harz Railway |
| 1868 | 1 December | Mülheim | Bergisch Gladbach | 9.5 km, Sülz Valley Railway, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company |
| 1869 | 1 March | Halberstadt | Vienenburg | 34.3 km, Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company, Halberstadt–Vienenburg line |
| 1869 | 1 March | Niederwiesa | Hainichen | 16.8 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Roßwein–Niederwiesa line |
| 1869 | 15 April | Frankfurt am Main | Worms and Mannheim | Darmstadt and Goddelau-Erfelden, until 1879, 112 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Ried Railway |
| 1869 | 31 May | Rastatt | Gernsbach | 15 km, Murg Valley Railway Company, Murg Valley Railway, 58.2 km line to Freudenstadt completed in 1928 |
| 1869 | 29 June | Tübingen | Sigmaringen | Until 1878, 97.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Zollernalb Railway |
| 1869 | 25 July | Herbertingen | Waldsee | Aulendorf, 37.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Herbertingen–Aulendorf railway, Allgäu Railway (Württemberg) |
| 1869 | 17 August | Wolkramshausen | Erfurt | Sondershausen, Straußfurt, 71.15 km, Nordhausen-Erfurt Railway Company |
| 1869 | 1 September | Neuss | Duren | 49 km, Erft Railway |
| 1869 | 2 October | Gunzenhausen | Ingolstadt | Until 1870, 98 km (including branch to Pleinfeld), Royal Bavarian State Railways, Ingolstadt–Treuchtlingen line |
| 1869 | 23 October | Wertheim | Crailsheim | 100 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Tauber Valley Railway |
| 1869 | 27 October | Lampertheim | Bensheim | Hofheim (Ried), 18.3 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Nibelungen Railway |
| 1869 | 29 December | Gießen | Fulda | Alsfeld, 106 km, Upper Hessian Railway Company, Vogelsberg Railway |
| 1869 | 29 December | Gießen | Gelnhausen | Büdingen, 69.7 km, Upper Hessian Railway Company, Lahn-Kinzig Railway |
| 1870 | 1 January | Venlo | Hamburg | Wesel and Wanne, Haltern, Osnabrück, Bremen, until 1874, 455 km, Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Paris–Hamburg railway |
| 1870 | 1 January | Limburg an der Lahn | Westerburg | 28.6 km, Prussian state railways, Limburg-Altenkirchen line |
| 1870 | 11 April | Gotha | Leinefelde | Bad Langensalza, Mühlhausen, 67.07 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Gotha–Leinefelde line |
| 1870 | 20 April | Cottbus | Großenhain | 79.7 km, Cottbus-Großenhain Railway Company, Großenhain–Cottbus line |
| 1870 | 1 June | Diez | Wiesbaden | Langenschwalbach, 53.7 km, Prussian state railways, Aar Valley Railway |
| 1870 | 1 June | Schwerte | Arnsberg | 138 km (to Warburg), until 1873, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Upper Ruhr Valley Railway |
| 1870 | 29 June | Hanau | Eberbach | Wiebelsbach–Heubach, Erbach, 88.2 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Odenwald Railway |
| 1870 | 1 July | Lübeck | Bad Kleinen | 61.9 km, Friedrich-Franz railway, Lübeck–Bad Kleinen railway |
| 1870 | 4 August | Mannheim | Karlsruhe | 60.7 km, City of Mannheim, Rhine Railway, Hardt Railway |
| 1870 | 27 December | Darmstadt | Wiebelsbach–Heubach | Ober-Ramstadt, 31.9 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Odenwald Railway |

## Maps

| Rail network in 1849 | Rail network in 1861 |