Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn
Encyclopedia
The Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (German
: Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) was a Germany railway
company that together with the Cologne-Minden Railway (Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) and the Rhenish Railway Company
(Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE) was one of the three (nominally) private railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr
and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia
. Its name refers to Bergisches Land
and the County of Mark.
(Today Wuppertal
). Since the Cologne-Minden Railway Company had decided to build its route via Duisburg
rather than through the valley of the Wupper
river, the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (German
: Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) determined to build its own line through the Wupper valley, to create a link between the highly industrialised area of the Bergisches Land
with the east, particularly to connect with the Märkische coal fields, near Dortmund
. The required concession for the railway was Granted by the Prussia
n government on 12 July 1844. A link to the Rhine in the west had already been completed in 1841 by the Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company
, which had been founded in 1837.
ran from Elberfeld to Dortmund via Barmen
(since 1929 part of Wuppertal), Schwelm
, Hagen
, Wetter
and Witten
and was completed in 1849. In the following years the company built other main and branch lines in the Ruhr along the Hellweg
an ancient highway and the Ruhr
and Rhine rivers. In 1862 it opened a profitable east-west trunk line between Dortmund and Witten through Bochum
-Langendreer
, Essen
, Mülheim an der Ruhr
to Duisburg. The development of the Ruhr valley was largely a result of the opening of the BME’s trunk line.
The company’s development was characterised by the acquisitions of many smaller railway companies to round out its network. However, its energetic board of directors and its chairman Daniel von der Heydt (1802–1874, later a member of the Prussian House of Lords
), despite years of effort, were not able to take over the Prussian government-owned Royal Westphalian Railway Company
. Such a takeover would have allowed the BME to develop a connection via Hamm
to a German seaport via Rheine
.
.
In 1858 it started to build its Witten–Duisburg trunk line through the Ruhr. The first section was opened between Duisburg and Hochfeld for freight trains only on 19 August 1859. The 52 km line from Bochum
-Langendreer to Steele, Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr, with connections to various coal mines, was completed on 1 May 1862. At Steele it also connected with the northern end of the Steele–Vohwinkel railway
, which had been rebuilt in 1847 from the Prince William Railway (opened as the first horse-powered railway in Germany in 1831) and acquired by the BME in 1854 for 1.3 million thalers.
Logically, then its next step in 1866 was to cross the Rhine via the Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
with the goal of connecting with Belgium
and Netherlands
through the purchase of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company
’s lines for seven million thalers. In 1870, it completed the Hamm railway bridge bridge across the Rhine in Düsseldorf-Hamm and opened the line from Dusseldorf to Neuss. This created a second connection between its networks on the east and west banks of the Rhine.
In addition the construction of several smaller routes followed up to 1876, an extension in an easterly direction, the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway to Arnsberg
, Bestwig
, Brilon
-Wald and Warburg
and Holzminden
on the Weser river. Here it connected with the line to Kassel of the Frederick William Northern Railway Company, which it took over on 17 April 1868, with its 130-kilometer line from Gerstungen
via Bebra
and Kassel
to Bad Karlshafen
for eight million thalers. After 1870 the network was extended on the west bank of the Rhine with the 66 km long line from Rheydt-Odenkirchen
to Aue
and Düren
. During the nationalisation of the company in 1880 the company took over the 78 km railway network of the Dutch-Westphalian Railway Company from Gelsenkirchen
-Bismarck to Dorsten
, Borken
to Winterswijk
in the Netherlands, with a branch from Borken to Bocholt
.
's Royal directorate of railways at Elberfeld (German: Königliche Eisenbahn-Direction zu Elberfeld) took over its management with effect from 1 January 1882.
At its nationalisation the company had 768 locomotives and 21,607 wagons. Its rail network was 1,336 km long, including 720 km of double track railway. The purchase price was financed by government bonds worth 633,847,500 marks
. The company was dissolved on 1 January 1886.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) was a Germany railway
Rail transport in Germany
, Germany had a railway network of 41,315 km. 19,857 km are electrified. The total track length was 76,473 km. Germany is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Germany is 80.-Overview:...
company that together with the Cologne-Minden Railway (Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) and the Rhenish Railway Company
Rhenish Railway Company
The Rhenish Railway Company was along with the Cologne-Minden Railway Company and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company one of the railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia.-Foundation :The...
(Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE) was one of the three (nominally) private railway companies that in the mid-19th century built the first railways in the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
and large parts of today's North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
. Its name refers to Bergisches Land
Bergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
and the County of Mark.
Foundation
The Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company was founded on 18 October 1843 in ElberfeldElberfeld
Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929.-History:The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "elverfelde" was in a document of 1161...
(Today Wuppertal
Wuppertal
Wuppertal is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in and around the Wupper river valley, and is situated east of the city of Düsseldorf and south of the Ruhr area. With a population of approximately 350,000, it is the largest city in the Bergisches Land...
). Since the Cologne-Minden Railway Company had decided to build its route via Duisburg
Duisburg
- History :A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus holds that Duisburg, was built by the eponymous Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC...
rather than through the valley of the Wupper
Wupper
The Wupper is a right tributary to the Rhine river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Rising near Marienheide in western Sauerland it runs through the mountainous area of the Bergisches Land Berg County and enters the Rhine at Leverkussen, south of Düsseldorf...
river, the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME) determined to build its own line through the Wupper valley, to create a link between the highly industrialised area of the Bergisches Land
Bergisches Land
The Bergisches Land is a low mountain range region within the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, east of Rhine river, south of the Ruhr. The landscape is shaped by woods, meadows, rivers and creeks and contains over 20 artificial lakes...
with the east, particularly to connect with the Märkische coal fields, near Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
. The required concession for the railway was Granted by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n government on 12 July 1844. A link to the Rhine in the west had already been completed in 1841 by the Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company
Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company
The Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company was founded in October 1835 and officially recognised by a Prussian government statute on 23 September 1837. This gave the company a concession for the construction and operation of the 26 kilometre long Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line via Erkrath, Hochdahl and...
, which had been founded in 1837.
Trunk routes
Its original, 56 km long main lineElberfeld–Dortmund railway
The Elberfeld–Dortmund railway is a major German railway. It is part of a major axis for long distance and regional rail services between Wuppertal and Cologne, and is served by Intercity Express, InterCity, Regional Express, Regionalbahn and S-Bahn trains....
ran from Elberfeld to Dortmund via Barmen
Barmen
Barmen is a former industrial metropolis of the region of Bergisches Land, Germany, which in 1929 with four other towns was merged with the city of Wuppertal, North Rhine-Westphalia. Barmen was the birth-place of Friedrich Engels and together with the neighbouring town of Elberfeld founded the...
(since 1929 part of Wuppertal), Schwelm
Schwelm
Schwelm is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis in the administrative region of Arnsberg within the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.It's a town that's noted for the famed basketball player Virgil Matthews.-Geography:...
, Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
, Wetter
Wetter
Wetter is the surname of: , German politician * Bruce Wetter, American novelist* Ernst Wetter , Swiss politician...
and Witten
Witten
Witten is a university city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the home of the Witten/Herdecke University, the first private university in Germany.-Bordering municipalities:* Bochum* Dortmund* Herdecke* Wetter * Sprockhoevel* Hattingen...
and was completed in 1849. In the following years the company built other main and branch lines in the Ruhr along the Hellweg
Hellweg
In the Middle Ages the Hellweg was an ancient east-west route through Germany, the main corridor from the Rhine east to the mountains of the Teutoburger Wald, reaching from Duisburg, at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, to Paderborn, with the slopes of the Sauerland to its south.In the...
an ancient highway and the Ruhr
Ruhr
The Ruhr is a medium-size river in western Germany , a right tributary of the Rhine.-Description:The source of the Ruhr is near the town of Winterberg in the mountainous Sauerland region, at an elevation of approximately 2,200 feet...
and Rhine rivers. In 1862 it opened a profitable east-west trunk line between Dortmund and Witten through Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
-Langendreer
Langendreer
Langendreer is the most populous district of the city of Bochum in the Ruhr area in Germany. Langendreer is between Dortmund, the largest city of Westphalia and Langendreer-Alter Bahnhof, another district of Bochum. Langendreeer includes Kaltehardt, a mainly residential area. Langendreer is in the...
, Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Mülheim an der Ruhr
Mülheim
Mülheim an der Ruhr, also called "City on the River", is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen...
to Duisburg. The development of the Ruhr valley was largely a result of the opening of the BME’s trunk line.
The company’s development was characterised by the acquisitions of many smaller railway companies to round out its network. However, its energetic board of directors and its chairman Daniel von der Heydt (1802–1874, later a member of the Prussian House of Lords
Prussian House of Lords
The Prussian House of Lords was the first chamber of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1850-1918. The second chamber was the Prussian House of Representatives . The House of Lords was created on January 31, 1850 with the adoption of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Prussia...
), despite years of effort, were not able to take over the Prussian government-owned Royal Westphalian Railway Company
Royal Westphalian Railway Company
The Royal Westphalian Railway , was a German rail company established in 1848 with funding from the Prussian government, which later became part of the Prussian State Railways...
. Such a takeover would have allowed the BME to develop a connection via Hamm
Hamm
Hamm is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia , Germany. It is located in the northeastern part of the Ruhr area. As of December 2003 its population was 180,849. The city is situated between the A1 motorway and A2 motorway...
to a German seaport via Rheine
Rheine
Rheine is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.-Geography:Rheine is located on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx...
.
Expansion
Major expansion began in 1859 with the construction of the 106 km long Ruhr–Sieg from Hagen to Siegen and its mines. The line opened on 6 August 1861 and cost 12.9 million thalersPrussian thaler
The Thaler was the currency of Prussia until 1857. From 1750, it was distinct from north German Reichsthaler unit of account in that it contained 1/14 of a Cologne mark of silver, rather than 1/12, and was minted as a coin...
.
In 1858 it started to build its Witten–Duisburg trunk line through the Ruhr. The first section was opened between Duisburg and Hochfeld for freight trains only on 19 August 1859. The 52 km line from Bochum
Bochum
Bochum is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen.-History:...
-Langendreer to Steele, Essen and Mülheim an der Ruhr, with connections to various coal mines, was completed on 1 May 1862. At Steele it also connected with the northern end of the Steele–Vohwinkel railway
Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr railway
The Wuppertal-Vohwinkel-Essen Überruhr Railway is a 30 km long, continuous two-track electrified main line. It is known as the Prince William Railway, the first railway linking the valleys of the Wupper and the Ruhr....
, which had been rebuilt in 1847 from the Prince William Railway (opened as the first horse-powered railway in Germany in 1831) and acquired by the BME in 1854 for 1.3 million thalers.
Logically, then its next step in 1866 was to cross the Rhine via the Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry
The Ruhrort–Homberg train ferry was a German train ferry on the Rhine between Ruhrort and Homberg, now districts of Duisburg.-History :While the Cologne-Minden Railway Company was building its trunk line between Cologne and Minden via Duisburg between 1843 and 1847, the shareholders of the...
with the goal of connecting with Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
through the purchase of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company
Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company
The Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company was a German railway company founded in 1850 and taken over by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company in 1862...
’s lines for seven million thalers. In 1870, it completed the Hamm railway bridge bridge across the Rhine in Düsseldorf-Hamm and opened the line from Dusseldorf to Neuss. This created a second connection between its networks on the east and west banks of the Rhine.
In addition the construction of several smaller routes followed up to 1876, an extension in an easterly direction, the Upper Ruhr Valley Railway to Arnsberg
Arnsberg
Arnsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg's administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:...
, Bestwig
Bestwig
Bestwig is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Bestwig is situated on the river Ruhr, approx...
, Brilon
Brilon
Brilon is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that belongs to the Hochsauerlandkreis.- Geography :Brilon is situated on the Brilon Heights at an altitude of about 450 m on the upper reaches of the river Möhne...
-Wald and Warburg
Warburg
Warburg is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia on the river Diemel near the three-state point shared by Hessen, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. It is in Höxter district and Detmold region...
and Holzminden
Holzminden
Holzminden is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:...
on the Weser river. Here it connected with the line to Kassel of the Frederick William Northern Railway Company, which it took over on 17 April 1868, with its 130-kilometer line from Gerstungen
Gerstungen
Gerstungen is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany.-History:Between 1945 and 1990 Gerstungen served as East German inner German border crossing on the Thuringian Railway...
via Bebra
Bebra
Bebra is a small town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany.-Location:Bebra lies some 45 km south of Kassel on the Fulda. The town is easy to find on most maps thanks to its prominent location on the Fuldaknie...
and Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
to Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen
Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen...
for eight million thalers. After 1870 the network was extended on the west bank of the Rhine with the 66 km long line from Rheydt-Odenkirchen
Odenkirchen
Odenkirchen is a former town in Germany, presently part of the city Mönchengladbach. It is situated on the river Niers, 21 miles by rail south-west of Düsseldorf. It has a railway station , on the line from Mönchengladbach to Grevenbroich and Cologne. Pop...
to Aue
Eschweiler
Eschweiler is a municipality in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany on the river Inde, near the German-Belgian-Dutch frontier, and about 15 km east of Aachen and 50 km west of Cologne.- History :...
and Düren
Düren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
. During the nationalisation of the company in 1880 the company took over the 78 km railway network of the Dutch-Westphalian Railway Company from Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
-Bismarck to Dorsten
Dorsten
Dorsten is a town in the district of Recklinghausen in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany and has a population of just below 80,000.Dorsten is situated on the western rim of Westphalia bordering the Rhineland. Its historical old town lies on the south bank of the river Lippe and the Wesel–Datteln...
, Borken
Borken
Borken is the name of three places in Germany:*Borken, North Rhine-Westphalia*Borken , in North Rhine-Westphalia*Borken, HesseBorken or b0rken can also be internet slang for "broken," often referring to a computer program or a feature of a program that is not working as expected...
to Winterswijk
Winterswijk
Winterswijk is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.Winterswijk is a town with a population of some 30,000 in the Achterhoek which lies in the most eastern part of the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It was also known as Winethereswick, Winriswic or Wenterswic...
in the Netherlands, with a branch from Borken to Bocholt
Bocholt
There are two towns called Bocholt:* Bocholt, Germany* Bocholt, Belgium...
.
Opening and acquistion of lines
| Dates | Lines | Route |
|---|---|---|
| 1847–1849 | Elberfeld–Dortmund Elberfeld–Dortmund railway The Elberfeld–Dortmund railway is a major German railway. It is part of a major axis for long distance and regional rail services between Wuppertal and Cologne, and is served by Intercity Express, InterCity, Regional Express, Regionalbahn and S-Bahn trains.... |
Trunkline: Elberfeld–Oberbarmen Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station is a station in the city of Wuppertal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was long an important railway junction, connecting to four railway lines... –Schwelm Schwelm station Schwelm station is the most important station in the city of Schwelm in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. All regional and S-Bahn trains stop at the station. Long distance services pass through without stopping.-History :... –Milspe Ennepetal (Gevelsberg) station Ennepetal station is a 160-year-old station on the Elberfeld–Dortmund railway built by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company. It is in the city of Ennepetal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The former station building is one of the oldest of its kind in North Rhine-Westphalia and... -Hagen Hagen Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Hagen in western Germany. It is an important rail hub for the southeastern Ruhr area, offering regional and long distance connections.... –Witten Witten Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the town of Witten in western Germany. It is situated southwest of the town.In 1849 the station was opened as Witten West by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft. At the end of the 19th century the whole station was reconstructed, the new station building was was... –Dortmund Dortmund Hauptbahnhof is the central station for the city of Dortmund in Germany.The station's origins lie in a joint station of the Köln-Mindener Eisenbahn and Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn which was built north of the city centre in 1847. That station was replaced by a new station, erected in 1910 at the current site.... |
| 1855 | Dortmund–Soest | Dortmund–Hörde–Unna Unna station Unna station is the main passenger station in the Westphalian city of Unna in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The other stations in the city that are served by regular passenger services are Unna-Königsborn, Unna West, Massen, Lünern and Hemmerde.... –Soest Soest (Germany) station Soest station is a passenger station in the city of Soest in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the Hamm–Warburg and the Dortmund–Soest lines. It was also served by passenger trains on the Möhne Valley Railway from 1899 to 1960.-Train services:It is served by occasional Intercity... |
| 1857 | Düsseldorf–Elberfeld Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway The Düsseldorf–Elberfeld railway is a 27 km long main line railway in Germany, originally built by the Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company, connecting Düsseldorf and Elberfeld via Erkrath, Hochdahl and Vohwinkel... |
acquisition of the Dusseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company The Düsseldorf-Elberfeld Railway Company was founded in October 1835 and officially recognised by a Prussian government statute on 23 September 1837. This gave the company a concession for the construction and operation of the 26 kilometre long Düsseldorf–Elberfeld line via Erkrath, Hochdahl and... |
| 1859–1861 | Ruhr–Sieg | Hagen–Letmathe–Finnentrop Finnentrop Finnentrop is a community in Olpe district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Geography :Finnentrop lies near the forks of the rivers Bigge and Lenne in the Sauerland and is divided into the following constituent communities:- History :... –Kreuztal Kreuztal station Kreuztal station is the main station in the in the town of Kreuztal in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.-History :The construction of a rail ;ink to Kreuztal was under discussion in the 1840s... –Siegen Siegen station Siegen station is the main station of the town of Siegen, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is in close to the modern centre of Siegen, which includes the bus station and the Sieg Carré and City Galerie shopping centres.-History :... |
| 1859–1862 | Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg | Witten/Dortmund–Langendreer Bochum-Langendreer station Bochum-Langendreer station is now a stop on the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn in the district of Langendreer in eastern Bochum in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Langendreer formerly had a 40 hectare marshalling yard, which is now used as a depot, with the location code of EBLA... –Essen Essen Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Essen in western Germany. It is situated south of the old town centre, next to the A 40 motorway.It was opened in 1862 by the Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn... –Mülheim (Ruhr) Mülheim (Ruhr) Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof for the city of Mülheim in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It was renamed as a Hauptbahnhof in 1974 at the time of the rebuilding of the Dortmund–Duisburg line as part of the establishment of the Rhine-Ruhr S-Bahn.... –Mülheim-Styrum Mülheim-Styrum station Mülheim-Styrum station is located in the district of Styrum in the German city of Mülheim in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the Witten/Dortmund–Oberhausen/Duisburg line and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 3 station... –Oberhausen/Duisburg Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the Hauptbahnhof of the city of Duisburg in western Germany. It is situated at the meeting point of many important national and international railway lines in the Northwestern Ruhr valley.- Lines :... |
| 1863 | Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr Wuppertal-Vohwinkel–Essen-Überruhr railway The Wuppertal-Vohwinkel-Essen Überruhr Railway is a 30 km long, continuous two-track electrified main line. It is known as the Prince William Railway, the first railway linking the valleys of the Wupper and the Ruhr.... |
acquisition of the Prince William Railway Company |
| 1864 | Aachen–Mönchengladbach | acquisition of the Aachen-Düsseldorf Railway Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company The Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company was a German railway company founded in 1850 and taken over by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company in 1862... |
| Mönchengladbach–Düsseldorf | ||
| Duisburg-Ruhrort–Mönchengladbach | ||
| 1866 | Viersen–Venlo Viersen–Venlo railway The Viersen–Venlo railway is a railway line running from Viersen in Germany to Venlo in the Netherlands. The line was opened in 1866 by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company. Formerly used by international passenger trains between The Hague and Cologne, it is now only used by the... |
Viersen Viersen station Viersen station is a station in the city of Viersen in the west of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The first Viersen station was opened on 5 October 1849 by the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company as part of its Ruhrort–Gladbach line near Alte Bruchstraße.On 4 March 1850,... –Kaldenkirchen–Venlo Venlo railway station Venlo is the railway station for the city of Venlo in the province of Limburg, The Netherlands. It is situated on the Maastricht–Venlo railway, the Viersen–Venlo railway, the Venlo–Eindhoven railway and the Nijmegen–Venlo railway.... |
| 1866/7 | Hagen–Hamm | Unna–Hamm (1866), Hagen–Herdecke Herdecke Herdecke is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. Its located south of Dortmund in the Ruhr Area and is known as Die Stadt zwischen den Ruhrseen .... (1867) |
| 1867/8 | Gruiten–Köln-Deutz Gruiten–Köln-Deutz railway The Gruiten–Cologne-Deutz railway is a major German railway. It is part of a major axis for long distance and regional rail services between Wuppertal and Cologne, and is served by Intercity Express, InterCity, Regional-Express and regionalbahn trains.... |
(Elberfeld–)Gruiten Gruiten station Gruiten station is one of the two stations of the Bergian city of Haan in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is described in German as a Berührungsbahnhof , as the Düsseldorf–Elberfeld and the Gruiten–Köln-Deutz lines both pass through the station, but their operations are separate... –Solingen Solingen Hauptbahnhof Solingen Hauptbahnhof is the only train station in Solingen, Germany offering ICE and IC long distance trains.... –Opladen Opladen station Opladen station is in the suburb of Opladen of the city of Leverkusen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is on the Gruiten–Köln-Deutz railway, which was opened on 25 September 1867 from Ohligs by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company . It was extended to Mülheim BME station on 8... –Köln-Deutz(–Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... ) |
| 1868 | Friedrich-Wilhelms Northern Railway | acquisition of the Friedrich-Wilhelms Northern Railway Company |
| 1868-81 | Wuppertal-Oberbarmen–Opladen/Remscheid | Oberbarmen–Lennep Remscheid-Lennep station Remscheid-Lennep station is in the city of Remscheid in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the second most important station in the city after Remscheid Hauptbahnhof... –Remscheid Remscheid Hauptbahnhof Remscheid Hauptbahnhof is in the Bergisch city of Remscheid in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in Willy-Brandt-Platz near central Remscheid and is classified by Deutsche Bahn as a category 5 station.... (1868), Lennep–Wermelskirchen Wermelskirchen Wermelskirchen is a town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, southeast of Remscheid. It is home to the world's biggest live Christmas tree.-Coat of arms:... (1876), Wermelskirchen–Opladen (1881) |
| 1870 | Hamm railway bridge | Neuss Neuss Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known... –Düsseldorf Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the... |
| 1870–73 | Schwerte–Warburg | Schwerte–Arnsberg Arnsberg Arnsberg is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg's administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:... (1870) Arnsberg–Meschede Meschede Meschede is a town in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Hochsauerlandkreis.-Geography:Meschede is situated in the Ruhr valley, near to the Hennesee, south of the nature-park Arnsberger Wald... (1871) Meschede–Bestwig Bestwig Bestwig is a municipality in the Hochsauerland district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Bestwig is situated on the river Ruhr, approx... (1872) Bestwig–Warburg (1873) |
| 1872 | Düsseldorf–Schwerte | Düsseldorf–(Essen-)Kettwig–(Essen-)Kupferdreh Old Kupferdreh station Old Kupferdreh station was built by the Prussian state railways in the Essen district of Kupferdreh in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and opened in 1898 on the Prince William Railway... –Herdecke–Schwerte |
| 1873 | Hochneukirch–Stolberg | Rheydt-Odenkirchen Odenkirchen Odenkirchen is a former town in Germany, presently part of the city Mönchengladbach. It is situated on the river Niers, 21 miles by rail south-west of Düsseldorf. It has a railway station , on the line from Mönchengladbach to Grevenbroich and Cologne. Pop... –Jülich Jülich Jülich is a town in the district of Düren, in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Jülich is well known as location of a world-famous research centre, the Forschungszentrum Jülich and as shortwave transmission site of Deutsche Welle... –Düren Düren station Düren station is located to the north of the centre of Düren and is the largest station in the city and the district of Düren. It is located at the intersection of the Cologne–Aachen high-speed line with the lines to Linnich, Heimbach and Euskirchen. Until 1992 it was also connected to the Erft... , Jülich–Weisweiler Eschweiler Eschweiler is a municipality in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany on the river Inde, near the German-Belgian-Dutch frontier, and about 15 km east of Aachen and 50 km west of Cologne.- History :... –Aue Eschweiler Eschweiler is a municipality in the district of Aachen in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany on the river Inde, near the German-Belgian-Dutch frontier, and about 15 km east of Aachen and 50 km west of Cologne.- History :... |
| 1876 | Mülheim-Styrum–Essen-Kettwig | (Mülheim-)Styrum–(Essen-)Kettwig |
| 1876 | Scherfede–Holzminden | Scherfede–Beverungen Beverungen Beverungen is a town in Höxter district in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Location :Beverungen lies in the Weser Uplands on the side of the Weser opposite Solling roughly 10 km south of Höxter. In parts of the eastern municipal area near the river, the town has a share of the Weser Valley,... –Holzminden Holzminden Holzminden is a town in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Holzminden. It is located directly on the river Weser, which here is the border to North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:... |
| 1877 | Essen-Werden–Essen | (Essen-)Werden–Essen |
| 1879 | Iron Rhine | Rheydt Rheydt Hauptbahnhof is a railway station in Mönchengladbach, Germany. It is unique in the fact that Mönchengladbach is actually the only city in Germany that does have two stations called Hauptbahnhof associated with it... –Dalheim Wegberg Wegberg is the northernmost town in the district of Heinsberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Wegberg is situated between Mönchengladbach in the northeast and Erkelenz in the southeast. The city lies in the Naturpark Maas-Schwalm-Nette, a nature and wildlife park hugging the border to... –D/NL border at Vlodrop Vlodrop Vlodrop is a town in the south-eastern part of The Netherlands in the municipality of Roerdalen. The town is situated near the German border, about 8 km southeast of Roermond.... |
| 1880 | Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck–Winterswijk | acquisition of Dutch-Westphalian Railway Company |
Nationalisation
The act for the nationalisation of the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company was promulgated on 28 March 1882. At that time, the Prussian government held 64 percent of the share capital of the Company. The Prussian state railwaysPrussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
's Royal directorate of railways at Elberfeld (German: Königliche Eisenbahn-Direction zu Elberfeld) took over its management with effect from 1 January 1882.
At its nationalisation the company had 768 locomotives and 21,607 wagons. Its rail network was 1,336 km long, including 720 km of double track railway. The purchase price was financed by government bonds worth 633,847,500 marks
German gold mark
The Goldmark was the currency used in the German Empire from 1873 to 1914.-History:Before unification, the different German states issued a variety of different currencies, though most were linked to the Vereinsthaler, a silver coin containing 16⅔ grams of pure silver...
. The company was dissolved on 1 January 1886.