List of the first German railways to 1870
Table:
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

1 December

Brunswick

Harzburg

Wolfenbüttel, until 1841, 47 km, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway (first German state railway), Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway

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

2 August

Cologne

Herbesthal (national border)

Müngersdorf, Lövenich, Düren, Aachen, until 1843, 86 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Cologne–Aachen line

1 September

Munich

Augsburg

Until 1840, 62 km, Munich–Augsburg Railway Company, Munich–Augsburg line

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

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

1 August

Berlin

Szczecin

Until 1843, 135 km, Berlin-Stettin Railway

19 September

Leipzig

Hof (Saale)

Reichenbach, Werdau, until 1851, 165 km, Saxon-Bavarian Railway, from 1847 Royal Saxon State Railways

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

15 July

Magdeburg

Halberstadt

Oschersleben, 58 km, Magdeburg-Halberstadt Railway Company, Magdeburg–Thale line

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

18 September

Altona

Kiel

106 km, Altona-Kiel Railway Company, Hamburg-Altona–Kiel line

1 October

Hof

Lindau

Nuremberg, Kempten, until 1853, 548 km, Ludwig South-North Railway, Royal Bavarian State Railways

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)

18 September

Neumünster

Rendsburg

34 km, Rendsburg-Neumünster Railway Company

15 October

Lehrte

Celle

28 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Lehrte–Celle line

22 October

Bruchsal

Friedrichshafen

Stuttgart, Ulm, until 1853, 275 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Fils Valley line, Western Railway, Southern Railway

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)

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

12 June

Lehrte

Nordstemmen

Hildesheim, until 1853, 36.1 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Lehrte–Nordstemmen line

22 June

Frankfurt am Main

Heidelberg

Darmstadt, 88 km, Main-Neckar Railway

7 August

Potsdam

Magdeburg

Brandenburg, 117 km, Berlin-Potsdam-Magdeburg Railway

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

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

1 May

Frankfurt am Main / Höchst

Bad Soden am Taunus

6.6 km, Soden Company

22 May

Celle

Harburg

Uelzen, 127 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanover–Hamburg line

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

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

29 August

Riesa

Chemnitz

66 km, until 1852, Chemnitz-Riesa Railway Company, later Royal Saxon State Railways

9 October

Elberfeld

Dortmund

Hagen, until 1849, 58 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Elberfeld–Dortmund line

15 October

Hanover

Minden

Wunstorf, Stadthagen, 64 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanover–Minden line

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

30 March

Grebenstein

Bad Karlshafen

Hümme, until 29 August, 48 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, Kassel–Warburg line, Carl line

26 May

Hamm

Münster

36 km, Münster-Hamm Railway Company

28 May

Fröttstädt

Waltershausen

3.77 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Friedrichroda line

25 July

Bietigheim

Heilbronn

29 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, first section of 179.7 km-long Franconia Railway to Würzburg, finished in 1869

1 August

Dresden

Bohemian border

Pirna, until 1851, 51 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Dresden–Děčín railway

29 August

Bebra

Kassel

56 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, Frederick William Northern line

10 September

Frankfurt am Main

Hanau

16.4 km, Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company

1 October

Jüterbog

Riesa

79 km, Berlin-Anhalt Railway Company, Jüterbog–Riesa line

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

7 July

Magdeburg

Wittenberge

109.1 km, Stendal, Seehausen, Magdeburg-Wittenberge Railway Company

25 September

Bebra

Gerstungen

21.3 km, Frederick William Northern Railway Company, the western section of the Thuringian Railway

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)

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

6 August

Bromberg

Königsberg

Dirschau, Marienburg, until 1857, 283 km, Prussian Eastern Railway, first railway bridge with a span of more than 100 metres

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

1 May

Hanover

Kassel

Alfeld, Kreiensen, Göttingen, until 1856, 166 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Hanoverian Southern Railway

26 September

Ulm

Kufstein

Augsburg, Munich, Rosenheim, until 1858, 190 km, Bavarian Maximilian's Railway, Royal Bavarian State Railways

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; sections of Neumünster–Flensburg and Husum–Kiel lines; Husum–Tönning line

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

22 June

Hanau

Aschaffenburg

8.9 km, Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company, Main–Spessart railway

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, Upper Rhine line

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.

9 July

Dortmund

Soest

Unna, 54 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Dortmund–Soest line

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

23 June

Münster

Rheine

39 km, Royal Westphalian Railway Company, Münster–Rheine line

1 July

Oberhausen

Dutch border

Wesel, Emmerich, 73 km, Cologne-Minden Railway Company, Oberhausen–Arnhem line

5 August

Börßum

Kreiensen

Salzgitter-Bad, 61 km, Royal Hanoverian State Railways, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Brunswick Southern Railway

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

1 June

Koblenz

Wetzlar

Oberlahnstein, Limburg, until 1863, 107 km, Nassau Rhine and Lahn Railway Company, later Nassau State Railway, Lahn Valley Railway

15 July

Bingerbrück

Neunkirchen

Bad Kreuznach, until 1860, 121 km, Rhine-Nahe line

1 August

Mainz

Aschaffenburg

Darmstadt, 34 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Rhine-Main line

1 November

Eisenach

Coburg

Lichtenfels, Coburg, until 151 km, Werra Railway Company

1 November

Coburg

Sonneberg

Neustadt bei Coburg, 19.49 km, Werra Railway Company, Coburg–Sonneberg line

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–Hof, Nuremberg–Schwandorf lines

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

2 February

Weißenfels

Zeitz

Teuchern, 31.25 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Weißenfels–Zeitz line

19 March

Zeitz

Gera

Crossen an der Elster, 28.20 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Leipzig–Gera–Saalfeld line

21 March

Hagen

Siegen

Altena, until 1861, 106 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Ruhr–Sieg line

1 July

Gunzenhausen

Würzburg

Ansbach, until 1864, 116 km, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Treuchtlingen–Würzburg line

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

19 August

Witten

Duisburg

Bochum, Essen, until 1862, 58 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Witten–Duisburg line

20 September

Plochingen

Villingen

Tübingen, Rottweil, until 1869, 113 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Neckar-Alb, Upper Neckar, Gäu lines

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

10 September

Frankfurt am Main

Bad Homburg
19 km, Homburg Railway Company

20 September

Straubing

Passau-Voglau

Until 1861, 77 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Regensburg–Passau line

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

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

7 June

Basel

Schopfheim

20 km, Wiesenthal Railway Company, Wiese Valley Railway

4 August

Heilbronn

Crailsheim

Until 1867, Schwäbisch Hall, 88 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Hohenlohe Railway

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

3 March

Krefeld

Zevenaar, Netherlands

Geldern, Kleve, till 1865, 75 km, Rhenish Railway Company, West Lower Rhine line, Spyck–Welle train ferry

15 March

Angermünde

Stralsund

170 km, Berlin-Stettin Railway Company, Angermünde–Stralsund line, as well as Szczecin–Pasewalk line (41.8 km)

1 June

Karlsruhe

Mühlacker

43.5 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Karlsruhe–Mühlacker line

15 June

Waldshut

Konstanz

89 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Upper Rhine Railway

1 October

Irrenlohe

Bayreuth

Weiden, until 1 December, 98 km, Bavarian Eastern Railway Company, Regensburg–Hof line, Weiden–Bayreuth line

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, Regensburg–Hof line, Wiesau–Cheb line

21 September

Wendlingen

Kirchheim

6.5 km, Kirchheim Railway Company

13 September

Aalen

Heidenheim

22.1 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Brenz Railway, completed to Ulm in 1876

1 October

Altenbeken

Kreiensen

93 km, until 1865, Royal Westphalian Railway Company, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Altenbeken–Kreiensen line

6 October

Düren

Trier

Euskirchen, Gerolstein, until 1871, 111 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Börde Railway, Eifel Railway

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 Durkheim

15 km, Neustadt-Dürkheim Railway Company, Palatine Northern Railway

1 August

Hamburg

Lübeck

64 km, Lübeck-Büchen Railway, Lübeck–Hamburg railway

1 September

Halle (Saale)

Eichenberg

Eisleben, Nordhausen, Leinefelde, 167 km, until 1867, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company, Halle–Kassel railway

23 October

Brunn (Saxony)

Greiz

Branch line of the Saxon-Bavarian Railway to Greiz, 9.75 km, Greiz-Brunn Railway Company

1 November

Herlasgrün

Oelsnitz

Falkenstein, Saxony, 47 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Voigtland State Railway (Herlasgrün–Oelsnitz and Plauen–Cheb lines)

1 November

Cheb (Eger)

Oberkotzau

Aš, 54.8 km, City of Hof, Cheb–Oberkotzau railway

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

22 January

Frankfurt am Main

Bebra

Hanau, Elm, until 1914, 210 km, Frankfurt–Bebra Railway

29 January

Viersen

Venlo

23.4 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Viersen–Venlo line

1 February

Flöha

Annaberg-Buchholz

43.5 km, Saxon State Railways, Annaberg-Buchholz–Flöha railway

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

2 July

Offenburg

Haussach

33 km, the start of the Black Forest Railway, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway,

1 September

Osterrath

Wattenscheid

Mülheim-Saarn, Essen-Nord, until 1867, 43 km, Rhenish Railway Company, Osterath–Dortmund Süd line (including Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry)

6 September

Villingen

Singen

Until 1869, 63 km, the southern part of the Black Forest Railway, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway

13 September

Berlin

Görlitz

Cottbus, until 1867, 208 km, Berlin-Görlitz Railway Company

1 October

Berlin

Kostrzyn

Until 1867, 85 km, Prussian Eastern Railway

15 November

Goldshöfe

Crailsheim

30.4 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Upper Jagst Railway

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

29 January

Gruiten

Deutz

35 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Gruiten–Köln-Deutz line

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

19 May

Altona

Blankenese

9 km, Altona-Kiel Railway Company, Altona–Blankenese line

14 July

Neudietendorf

Arnstadt

9.94 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Neudietendorf–Ritschenhausen line

20 July

Radolfzell

Mengen

Until 1870, 57 km, Baden State Railway, Hegau-Ablach Valley Railway

Munich

Ingolstadt

81 km, Royal Bavarian State Railways, Nuremberg–Munich high-speed line

25 September

Ohligs Wald

Solingen Weyersberg

5.6 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Solingen line

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, Danube Valley Railway (Baden-Württemberg)

1 May

Jerxheim

Börßum

23.2 km, Duchy of Brunswick State Railway, Jerxheim–Börßum line

11 June

Pforzheim

Bad Wildbad

19.8 km, Baden State Railway, Enz Valley Railway

25 June

Meckesheim

Jagstfeld

Bad Rappenau, until 1869, 36.4 km, Baden State Railway, Elsenz Valley Railway

1 September

Barmen-Rittershausen

Remscheid

17.8 km, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Opladen railway

23 September

Zuffenhausen

Ditzingen

Until 1872, 48.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Black Forest Railway (Württemberg)

1 December

Northeim

Nordhausen

Herzberg am Harz, Bad Sachsa, until 1869, 69 km, Magdeburg-Leipzig Railway Company, South Harz Railway

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

1 March

Niederwiesa

Hainichen

16.8 km, Royal Saxon State Railways, Roßwein–Niederwiesa line

15 April

Frankfurt am Main

Worms and Mannheim

Darmstadt and Goddelau-Erfelden, until 1879, 112 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Ried Railway

31 May

Rastatt

Gernsbach

15 km, Murg Valley Railway Company, Murg Valley Railway, 58.2 km line to Freudenstadt completed in 1928

29 June

Tübingen

Sigmaringen

Until 1878, 97.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Zollernalb Railway

25 July

Herbertingen

Waldsee

Aulendorf, 37.5 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Herbertingen–Aulendorf railway, Allgäu Railway (Württemberg)

17 August

Wolkramshausen

Erfurt

Sondershausen, Straußfurt, 71.15 km, Nordhausen-Erfurt Railway Company

1 September

Neuss

Duren

49 km, Erft Railway

2 October

Gunzenhausen

Ingolstadt

Until 1870, 98 km (including branch to Pleinfeld), Royal Bavarian State Railways, Ingolstadt–Treuchtlingen line

23 October

Wertheim

Crailsheim

100 km, Royal Württemberg State Railways, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, Tauber Valley Railway

27 October

Lampertheim

Bensheim

Hofheim (Ried), 18.3 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Nibelungen Railway

29 December

Gießen

Fulda

Alsfeld, 106 km, Upper Hessian Railway Company, Vogelsberg Railway

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

1 January

Limburg an der Lahn

Westerburg

28.6 km, Prussian state railways, Limburg-Altenkirchen line

11 April

Gotha

Leinefelde

Bad Langensalza, Mühlhausen, 67.07 km, Thuringian Railway Company, Gotha–Leinefelde line

20 April

Cottbus

Großenhain

79.7 km, Cottbus-Großenhain Railway Company, Großenhain–Cottbus line

1 June

Diez

Wiesbaden

Langenschwalbach, 53.7 km, Prussian state railways, Aar Valley Railway

1 June

Schwerte

Arnsberg

138 km (to Warburg), until 1873, Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company, Upper Ruhr Valley Railway

29 June

Hanau

Eberbach

Wiebelsbach–Heubach, Erbach, 88.2 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Odenwald Railway

1 July

Lübeck

Bad Kleinen

61.9 km, Friedrich-Franz railway, Lübeck–Bad Kleinen railway

4 August

Mannheim

Karlsruhe

60.7 km, City of Mannheim, Rhine Railway, Hardt Railway

27 December

Darmstadt

Wiebelsbach–Heubach

Ober-Ramstadt, 31.9 km, Hessian Ludwig Railway Company, Odenwald Railway

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