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. Yearday month fromtovia / 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 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 line1854 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 Jübek–Husum 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 Railways1855 20 February Haltingen Waldshut Basel, Säckingen, until 1859, 62 km, Grand Duchy of Baden State Railway, High 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, Lahntal 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 Co