818:
107:, which had been established as recently as 1830, was interested in trade relations with Prussia, which then included most of the Rhineland. Not having access to the Rhine, Belgium was at a commercial disadvantage to the Netherlands and therefore moved faster than any other country on the continent to build a rail network. The supporters of the line to Antwerp founded the Rhenish Railway Company on 25 July 1835 in Cologne. Its first president was
719:
322:
159:
220:
20:
181:
and Aachen to the
Belgian border, a distance of 86 kilometres. The first seven kilometres of track from Cologne to Müngersdorf was opened in 1839. Two further sections to Lövenich and from Düren to Aachen were completed in 1840 and 1841. This included the 1,632 m long Königsdorfer Tunnel, which has
808:
were not well connected to economic centres due to the relatively late construction, especially since they had been planned primarily for the transport of coal. This explains why most of these lines are no longer in operation. By contrast, its lines in the
Rhineland and the Rhine Valley are still
313:) were opened in 1859. The Central Station was a combined terminal and through station: it included four terminal tracks for the RhE running to the west, while the CME had two through tracks connecting to its line on the eastern side of the Rhine by the Cathedral Bridge.
856:
banks. Initially some of the
Cologne banks which had acquired shares had found it difficult to sell them due to poor economic conditions and attempted to return their shares to the railway company. Finally in 1840 the Belgian government bought the unsaleable shares.
551:), with the ferry wharf on the right bank replaced by facilities for loading coal on barges. On 15 February 1870 a three-kilometre branch line was opened from Hochfeld train ferry station to (old) Duisburg, which was the starting point of a
844:
Originally the banker
Abraham Oppenheim, held almost a quarter of the share capital, and another six Cologne bankers held another third. Six months later, Oppenheim together with the Belgian banker Bischoffsheim held a majority of shares.
899:
At its nationalisation the
Rhenish Railway Company had 507 locomotives, 862 carriages and 13,572 freight wagons. It operated a rail network of 1,356 km length. The purchase price was financed by government bonds worth 591,129,900
83:
and very early in its development, saw the possibility of the new means of transport, the railway. As early as the 1830s committees were established by the cities of the
Rhineland to promote proposals for building railways.
130:
provided links to other German seaports. A direct rail connection between the
Rhineland-Westphalian industrial belt and the German North Sea ports was established in 1856 with the opening of the
756:
to
Hamburg. The RhE gained a concession for its own route north from the Prussian government on 9 June 1873, which it completed within six years. On 1 July 1879 it opened the 175 km long
370:
182:
now been opened to create a cutting. The last section to the
Belgian border at Herbesthal was opened to traffic on 15 October 1843. There was a grade of 1:38 between Aachen and Ronheide (the
652:
In 1873 the company continued its policy of aggressive competition in its decision to build a 75 km long railway line through the
Bergisches Land from DĂĽsseldorf to Dortmund SĂĽd via
478:
in return it lost interest. A takeover of Nahe Valley Railway would have limited the profitability of the Eifel line. On 1 October 1875 a more direct route was opened from
186:). Until 1855, cable-haulage powered by a stationary steam engine assisted trains up the slope. The line was the first line linking Germany with a non-German country.
558:
Some sections of the Rhenish Ruhr line are now closed and where trains runs it is mostly used by freight trains, the only passenger trains on the route are the line
565:
trains through southern Dortmund. The section of line between Duisburg-Neudorf and Essen Nord is now closed and has been converted into a cycling and hiking trail.
888:). The east bank were combined with those of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company which had also nationalised with effect from 1 April 1881 in the newly established
361:
This line gave the RhE not only a connection to the Dutch North Sea ports but also part of a lucrative transit route from the Netherlands to Southern Germany and
126:
ports was not achieved until years later. The Cologne-Minden Railway Company was founded in 1843 and in 1847 the line to Minden was finished. Connection with the
346:. In 1863 this line was extended more than 65 km via Goch to Kleve. From there it built a railway line in 1865 over the Griethausen railway bridge to the
298:
496:
The company, which had previously operated only on the western side of the Rhine, opened a route across the Rhine on 1 September 1866 to connect with its
647:
1005:
932:
Eisenbahn-Knotenpunkt Ruhrgebiet, Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Revierbahnen seit 1838 (Ruhr rail hub, the history of the area's line since 1838
631:
183:
1000:
968:
945:
1015:
995:
868:
policy the nationalisation of the RhE was announced on 14 February 1880. At that time, the Prussian state held 42% of its share capital. The
690:
trains and by freight trains from Dornap-Hahnenfurth. Most of the section east of Dornap-Hahnenfurth is closed, although the section from
848:
To meet the high capital requirements of the railway company, the bankers developed new forms of cooperation such as national consortia (
369:, providing another route to Netherlands. In 1878 a new station was opened in Goch as a common station with the intersecting line of the
880:) for the management and operation of the network taken over, with effect from 1 January 1880. On 23 February 1881 this was renamed the
1010:
830:
837:) and J. D. Herstatt. The RhE was at that time the largest private company in Prussia with an initial share capital of three million
634:
and was quickly connected with many mines. The coal shipments grew enormously from the start, as the new railway launched its "one
578:
189:
The opening of the line created further connections as the already well-developed Belgian network had two connections with northern
294:. The Prussian state helped finance the construction of the Pfaffendorf bridge and its connection with the Nassau State Railways.
789:
638:" tariff to compete for the coal business. As a result of coal prices in Germany and neighboring countries fell by 10% to 15%.
976:
Klee, Wolfgang; Scheingraber, GĂĽnther (1992). "PreuĂźische Eisenbahngeschichte (Prussian Railway History, Part 1: 1838-1870)".
172:
627:
438:. The line was completed on 15 July 1871. This gave the RhE a line to the Saar coalfields and convenient connections to the
177:
On 21 August 1837 the Company received a concession from the Prussian government to build the railway line from Cologne via
44:
513:
491:
727:
552:
707:
286:
and its coal mines. In addition, in 1864 the Pfaffendorf bridge was built over Rhine at Koblenz and connected with the
781:
623:-Speldorf was completed on 18 November 1874, opening a cheap route for the shipping coal from the Ruhr to the south.
535:
It built sidings to the many coal mines in this region, generally free of charge. In 1874 the line was continued to
757:
604:
127:
677:
40:
525:
338:
1 June 1860, the Rhenish Railway Company took over the Cologne-Krefeld Railway Company (German, old spelling:
955:
Rheinische Eisenbahn, Vom Niederrhein ins Ruhrgebiet (Rhenish railways, from the Lower Rhine to the Ruhr area
817:
548:
112:
919:
Die Deutschen Eisenbahnen in ihrer Entwicklung 1835–1935 (The German railways in its development 1835-1935)
239:
258:, beginning its development of railways along the Rhine. By 1859, it had extended the West Rhine line (or
826:
474:, now controlled by the Prussian government. However, since it was required to take over the loss-making
347:
108:
131:
397:
393:
333:
869:
691:
684:
401:
47:(BME) one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the
699:
559:
275:
52:
695:
459:
287:
139:
821:
Railway map of the Rhein Province and Westfalen (ca. 1880), shortly before nationalisation
302:
8:
922:
853:
475:
451:
447:
422:
In 1864 work began on the construction of the 170 km long Eifel line from DĂĽren via
279:
116:
547:
SĂĽd. In the same year, the train ferry was replaced by a solid bridge across the Rhine (
396:, opened in 1868, provided another link to the Netherlands, which ran parallel with the
962:
939:
603:. On 11 July 1870 the section of line was opened from Neuwied to Oberkassel, where the
574:
455:
431:
423:
214:
736:
ports. The Cologne-Minden Railway Company had completed its line on 18 June 1874 from
861:
687:
608:
562:
443:
607:
provided a connection between the West Rhine and East Rhine lines. The section from
99:—and the Aachen Committee favoured a railway line through Belgium to the seaport of
901:
829:. Also involved at an early stage were other bankers such as William Deichmann (of
306:
417:
325:
865:
838:
471:
435:
247:
92:
68:
32:
834:
825:
The founder of the Rhenish Railway Company was the leading banker and merchant
737:
374:
224:
777:
283:
271:
989:
793:
467:
413:
291:
250:
along with its 45 km long route from Cologne (St. Pantaleon station) to
849:
703:
198:
749:
676:, which was completed on 19 September 1879. This line also competed with
540:
509:
454:
of 1866, the company sought to supplement its Eifel line and the planned
362:
80:
321:
761:
661:
427:
255:
745:
620:
521:
733:
653:
616:
612:
505:
501:
463:
123:
64:
732:
The Rhenish Railway Company still lacked a connection to the German
722:
Dorsten station is a typical building of the Rhenish Railway Company
669:
544:
517:
439:
366:
355:
718:
673:
479:
228:
178:
769:
765:
741:
657:
635:
600:
596:
343:
267:
158:
147:
104:
100:
88:
72:
773:
753:
536:
382:
232:
190:
143:
96:
208:
23:
Rhenish Railway Company network shortly before nationalisation
785:
665:
529:
386:
351:
202:
194:
135:
76:
365:. On 9 September 1865 the RhE opened a line from Cleves to
812:
805:
251:
48:
833:) and J. H. Stein & Co., and later Abraham Oppenheim (
683:
The line is currently used from DĂĽsseldorf to Mettmann by
219:
975:
115:. From 1844 until the company’s nationalisation in 1880,
904:. The company was formally dissolved on 1 January 1886.
19:
894:
Königliche Eisenbahn-Direktion zu Köln rechtsrheinisch
342:), including its 53 km long line from Cologne to
75:, sought to avoid paying the high tolls for using the
886:
Königliche Eisenbahn-Direktion zu Köln linksrheinisch
878:
Königliche Eisenbahn-Direktion zu Köln linksrheinisch
890:
Royal directorate of right Rhine railways at Cologne
874:
Royal Directorate of the Rhenish railways at Cologne
882:
Royal directorate of left Rhine railways at Cologne
162:
Haus Belvedere, terminus of the line to MĂĽngersdorf
615:opened in 1871. The continuation of the line from
316:
987:
706:RB 52 line uses the line from Hagen to Dortmund
595:) on 27 October 1869 from Ehrenbreitstein near
400:of the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company from
379:Noord-Brabantsch-Duitsche Spoorweg-Maatschappij
166:
446:now controlled by Germany as a result of the
238:On 1 January 1857, the Company acquired the
111:, who a few years later in 1848 was briefly
980:(in German). Vol. 1. FĂĽrstenfeldbruck.
804:The Rhenish Railway Company’s lines in the
626:The Ruhr route ran largely parallel to the
209:West Rhine line and Cologne Central Station
197:was only finished in 1846, on 16 June from
16:Prussian/German railway company (1835-1886)
967:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
944:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
952:
648:Düsseldorf-Derendorf–Dortmund Süd railway
278:to Mainz and Ludwigshafen as well as the
1006:Railway companies disestablished in 1881
816:
813:Business development and nationalisation
717:
320:
218:
157:
153:
18:
790:Grand Duchy of Oldenburg State Railways
780:. It connected with the network of the
583:The Rhenish Railway Company opened the
223:View from the Ichenberg tunnel towards
138:and in 1873/74 with the opening of the
95:(1790–1864)—a merchant and banker from
988:
482:on the West Rhine line to Euskirchen.
1001:Railway companies established in 1835
914:Annual Reports of the Rhenish Railway
641:
340:Cöln-Crefelder Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft
1016:German companies established in 1835
996:Defunct railway companies of Germany
929:
799:
371:North Brabant-German Railway Company
13:
628:Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company
579:Troisdorf–Mülheim-Speldorf railway
568:
434:, which cost more than 16 million
244:Bonn-Cölner Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft
45:Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company
14:
1027:
1011:1881 disestablishments in Germany
782:Royal Westphalian Railway Company
173:Cologne–Aachen high-speed railway
37:Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft
978:PreuĂźen-Report (Prussian report)
713:
514:Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry
305:in Cologne. The station and the
297:After the takeover of the BCE,
128:Royal Hanoverian State Railways
350:over the Rhine, connecting to
317:Cologne–Kleve–Netherlands line
301:completed plans for a new RhE
274:, where it connected with the
41:Cologne-Minden Railway Company
1:
907:
549:Duisburg-Hochfeld rail bridge
492:Osterath–Dortmund Süd railway
407:
122:A connection with the German
58:
728:Duisburg–Quakenbrück railway
485:
240:Bonn-Cologne Railway Company
7:
605:Bonn–Oberkassel train ferry
201:, and on 20 June 1846 from
167:Cologne–Aachen–Belgium line
87:Some of the members of the
51:and large parts of today's
39:, RhE) was along with the
10:
1032:
953:Friedhelm, Stöter (1988).
831:A. Schaaffhausen & Co.
809:vital for rail transport.
725:
645:
572:
555:completed on 1 July 1879.
489:
411:
331:
212:
170:
132:Hanoverian Western Railway
119:was president of the RhE.
63:The industrialists of the
758:Duisburg–Quakenbrück line
113:Prime Minister of Prussia
930:Rolf, Ostendorf (1979).
788:in Rheine and of to the
334:West Lower Rhine Railway
246:, BCE) for 1.05 million
934:(in German). Stuttgart.
870:Prussian state railways
458:by taking over and the
348:Spyck–Welle train ferry
29:Rhenish Railway Company
822:
723:
632:Duisburg–Dortmund line
450:of 1870-71. After the
329:
276:Hessian Ludwig Railway
235:
163:
53:North Rhine-Westphalia
24:
921:(in German). Berlin:
820:
721:
460:Nassau State Railways
398:Viersen–Venlo railway
324:
288:Nassau State Railways
266:) 107 kilometres via
222:
161:
154:Construction of lines
140:Hamburg-Venlo railway
22:
528:, MĂĽlheim-HeiĂźen to
358:in the Netherlands.
299:Hermann Otto Pflaume
193:, but the routes to
923:Deutsche Reichsbahn
593:Rechte Rheinstrecke
553:line to QuakenbrĂĽck
476:Nahe Valley Railway
452:Austro-Prussian War
448:Franco-Prussian War
280:Nahe Valley Railway
957:(in German). BĂĽhl.
823:
724:
642:Bergisch Land line
575:East Rhine Railway
516:across the Rhine,
456:East Rhine Railway
330:
264:Linke Rheinstrecke
236:
215:West Rhine railway
164:
25:
860:In the course of
827:Ludolf Camphausen
800:Operational lines
708:Signal-Iduna-Park
394:Kempen–Venlo line
109:Ludolf Camphausen
1023:
981:
972:
966:
958:
949:
943:
935:
926:
839:Prussian thalers
835:Sal Oppenheim jr
796:in QuakenbrĂĽck.
589:Right Rhine line
436:Prussian thalers
307:Cathedral Bridge
248:Prussian thalers
91:committee under
1031:
1030:
1026:
1025:
1024:
1022:
1021:
1020:
986:
985:
984:
960:
959:
937:
936:
917:
910:
866:nationalisation
815:
802:
730:
716:
692:Gevelsberg West
650:
644:
585:East Rhine line
581:
573:Main articles:
571:
569:East Rhine line
494:
488:
420:
412:Main articles:
410:
336:
319:
303:Central Station
260:Left Rhine line
217:
211:
175:
169:
156:
117:Gustav Mevissen
93:David Hansemann
79:imposed by the
71:, then part of
69:Bergisches Land
61:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1029:
1019:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
983:
982:
973:
950:
927:
915:
911:
909:
906:
814:
811:
801:
798:
726:Main article:
715:
712:
646:Main article:
643:
640:
570:
567:
490:Main article:
487:
484:
462:lines between
409:
406:
332:Main article:
318:
315:
225:Eschweiler Hbf
213:Main article:
210:
207:
171:Main article:
168:
165:
155:
152:
60:
57:
43:(CME) and the
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1028:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
993:
991:
979:
974:
970:
964:
956:
951:
947:
941:
933:
928:
924:
920:
916:
913:
912:
905:
903:
897:
895:
891:
887:
883:
879:
875:
871:
867:
863:
858:
855:
851:
846:
842:
840:
836:
832:
828:
819:
810:
807:
797:
795:
794:Wilhelmshaven
791:
787:
783:
779:
775:
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
751:
747:
743:
739:
735:
729:
720:
714:The North Sea
711:
709:
705:
701:
697:
696:Hagen-Heubing
693:
689:
686:
681:
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
659:
655:
649:
639:
637:
633:
629:
624:
622:
618:
614:
610:
606:
602:
598:
594:
590:
586:
580:
576:
566:
564:
561:
556:
554:
550:
546:
542:
538:
533:
531:
527:
526:MĂĽlheim (RhE)
523:
519:
515:
511:
507:
503:
499:
493:
483:
481:
477:
473:
469:
468:Oberlahnstein
465:
461:
457:
453:
449:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
419:
418:Börde Railway
415:
414:Eifel Railway
405:
403:
402:Kaldenkirchen
399:
395:
390:
388:
384:
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
359:
357:
353:
349:
345:
341:
335:
327:
326:DĂĽren station
323:
314:
312:
308:
304:
300:
295:
293:
292:Oberlahnstein
289:
285:
281:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
234:
230:
226:
221:
216:
206:
204:
200:
196:
192:
187:
185:
184:Ronheide ramp
180:
174:
160:
151:
149:
145:
141:
137:
133:
129:
125:
120:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
85:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
56:
54:
50:
46:
42:
38:
34:
30:
21:
977:
954:
931:
918:
898:
893:
889:
885:
881:
877:
873:
872:created the
859:
852:) and later
850:underwriters
847:
843:
824:
803:
731:
704:Regionalbahn
682:
651:
630:’s existing
625:
592:
588:
584:
582:
557:
534:
532:Nord (RhE).
497:
495:
421:
391:
378:
360:
339:
337:
310:
296:
263:
259:
243:
237:
199:Valenciennes
188:
176:
121:
86:
62:
36:
28:
26:
854:joint-stock
778:QuakenbrĂĽck
702:trains and
698:is used by
541:Langendreer
524:-Speldorf,
520:-Hochfeld,
510:Rheinhausen
480:Kalscheuren
363:Switzerland
284:SaarbrĂĽcken
272:BingerbrĂĽck
103:via Liege.
81:Netherlands
990:Categories
908:References
762:Oberhausen
678:a BME line
662:Gevelsberg
609:Oberkassel
428:Gerolstein
424:Euskirchen
408:Eifel line
392:The RhE’s
256:Rolandseck
59:Foundation
963:cite book
940:cite book
876:(German:
750:OsnabrĂĽck
734:North Sea
654:Elberfeld
617:Troisdorf
613:Troisdorf
506:Uerdingen
498:Ruhr line
486:Ruhr line
464:Wiesbaden
442:mines of
311:DombrĂĽcke
124:North Sea
65:Rhineland
862:Bismarck
740:through
685:line S28
670:Herdecke
545:Dortmund
543:Nord to
518:Duisburg
502:Osterath
444:Lorraine
440:iron ore
367:Nijmegen
356:Zevenaar
227:between
67:and the
925:. 1935.
770:Dorsten
766:Bottrop
746:MĂĽnster
742:Haltern
700:line S8
658:Schwelm
636:pfennig
621:MĂĽlheim
601:Neuwied
597:Koblenz
522:MĂĽlheim
472:Wetzlar
381:) from
344:Krefeld
328:in 1920
268:Koblenz
148:Hamburg
105:Belgium
101:Antwerp
89:Cologne
73:Prussia
774:Rheine
768:Nord,
764:West,
754:Bremen
688:S-Bahn
660:Nord,
563:S-Bahn
539:Nord,
537:Bochum
512:, the
383:Boxtel
233:Aachen
191:France
144:Bremen
97:Aachen
33:German
902:marks
786:Emden
738:Wanne
674:Hörde
666:Hagen
530:Essen
500:from
432:Trier
387:Wesel
375:Dutch
352:Elten
229:DĂĽren
203:Lille
195:Paris
179:DĂĽren
136:Emden
77:Rhine
969:link
946:link
806:Ruhr
772:and
760:via
752:and
672:and
587:(or
577:and
504:via
470:and
426:and
416:and
354:and
254:and
252:Bonn
231:and
146:and
49:Ruhr
27:The
896:).
864:'s
792:to
784:to
776:to
694:to
619:to
611:to
599:to
430:to
385:to
290:in
282:to
270:to
142:to
134:to
992::
965:}}
961:{{
942:}}
938:{{
841:.
748:,
744:,
710:.
680:.
668:,
664:,
656:,
591:,
560:S4
508:,
466:,
404:.
389:.
377::
262:,
205:.
150:.
55:.
35::
971:)
948:)
892:(
884:(
373:(
309:(
242:(
31:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
