Hanoverian Western Railway
Encyclopedia
The Hanoverian Western Railway was a line from the Löhne
to Emden
, built by the Royal Hanoverian State Railways
in the mid-19th century in the west of the Kingdom of Hanover
in the modern German states of Lower Saxony
and North Rhine-Westphalia
.
of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
from Cologne
via Hamm.
The Hanoverian Western Railway branches off the Hamm–Minden line at Löhne station and runs along the valleys of the Else
and the Hase
south of the Wiehen Hills via Bünde
and Melle
to Osnabrück
. As the next section from Osnabrück via Ibbenbüren
to Rheine
was located in the Prussia
n Province of Westphalia
, it was built by the Prussian government and leased by the Royal Hanoverian State Railways. From Rheine, the line then runs along the Ems river to the north and through Salzbergen
, Lingen, Meppen
and Papenburg
to Emden.
The line was opened in stages between 1854 and 1856. First, the Emden–Papenburg section was completed on 24 November 1854, without any connection to other lines. The Löhne–Osnabrück section was opened on 21 November 1855 to a temporary terminus at the Hannöversche Bahnhof ("Hanoverian station"). The Lingen–Papenburg section was opened on 2 May 1856 and the remaining Osnabrück–Lingen section was put into operation on 23 June 1856. At the same time the central workshops for the entire route were established in Lingen.
In the following years, Rheine developed as a railway junction. On 27 June 1856, the Münster–Rheine line was opened and in 1865 the Almelo–Salzbergen line
was opened, connecting to the Dutch network.
, the Kingdom of Hanover was annexed by Prussia. The Royal Hanoverian State Railways became Prussian property and on 15 December 1866, it became a division of the Prussian state railways
, based in Hanover.
The section of line between Emden and Rheine was acquired by the Royal Westphalian Railway Company
on 1 January 1868.
Löhne
Löhne is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Löhne is situated on the river Werre, approx. 8 km north of Herford and 20 km south-west of Minden.-Neighbouring places:* Hüllhorst* Bad Oeynhausen...
to Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
, built by the Royal Hanoverian State Railways
Royal Hanoverian State Railways
The Royal Hanoverian State Railways existed from 1843 until the annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866...
in the mid-19th century in the west of the Kingdom of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
in the modern German states of Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
and 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...
.
Route and construction
The development of Hanover’s western railways began in 1847 with the construction of the Hanover–Minden line. This line connected to the trunk lineCologne-Minden trunk line
The Cologne-Minden trunk line is a railway built by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company . The line is the westernmost part of the railway line from Berlin to the Rhine that was proposed by Friedrich List in his Concept for a railway network in Germany, published in 1833...
of the Cologne-Minden Railway Company
Cologne-Minden Railway Company
The Cologne-Minden Railway Company was along with the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company and the Rhenish 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.-Founding :The founding of the...
from 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...
via Hamm.
The Hanoverian Western Railway branches off the Hamm–Minden line at Löhne station and runs along the valleys of the Else
Else (Werre)
The Else is a left tributary of the river Werre in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia and in southern Lower Saxony. The Else is a distributary of the river Hase and begins at a river bifurcation near Melle.- Origin :...
and the Hase
Hase
The Hase is a 193 km long river in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Ems, but part of its flow goes to the Else, that is part of the Weser basin. Its source is in the Teutoburg Forest, south-east of Osnabrück, on the north slope of the 307 m high Hankenüll hill.- Weser-Ems...
south of the Wiehen Hills via Bünde
Bünde
Bünde is a town in the Herford district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:Bünde is situated between Osnabrück , Hannover and Bielefeld .- Waterways :...
and Melle
Melle
-Places:Belgium* Melle, Belgium, a gemeente in East Flanders, FlandersFrance* Melle, Deux-Sèvres, a commune in Poitou-Charentes* Mellé, Ille-et-Vilaine, a commune in BrittanyGermany* Melle, Germany, a Stadt in Osnabrück Landkreis, Lower Saxony...
to Osnabrück
Osnabrück
Osnabrück is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, some 80 km NNE of Dortmund, 45 km NE of Münster, and some 100 km due west of Hanover. It lies in a valley penned between the Wiehen Hills and the northern tip of the Teutoburg Forest...
. As the next section from Osnabrück via Ibbenbüren
Ibbenbüren
Ibbenbüren or Ibbenbueren is a medium-sized town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is on position 185 of the largest cities in Germany and the largest city in Tecklenburger Land.-Geography:...
to 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...
was located in 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 Province of Westphalia
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946.-History:Napoleon Bonaparte founded the Kingdom of Westphalia, which was a client state of the First French Empire from 1807 to 1813...
, it was built by the Prussian government and leased by the Royal Hanoverian State Railways. From Rheine, the line then runs along the Ems river to the north and through Salzbergen
Salzbergen
Salzbergen is a municipality in the Emsland district, Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Ems, approx. 25 km south of Lingen, and 10 km northwest of Rheine.It has the oldest oil refinery in the world, opened in 1860....
, Lingen, Meppen
Meppen, Germany
Meppen is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund-Ems canal...
and Papenburg
Papenburg
Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
to Emden.
The line was opened in stages between 1854 and 1856. First, the Emden–Papenburg section was completed on 24 November 1854, without any connection to other lines. The Löhne–Osnabrück section was opened on 21 November 1855 to a temporary terminus at the Hannöversche Bahnhof ("Hanoverian station"). The Lingen–Papenburg section was opened on 2 May 1856 and the remaining Osnabrück–Lingen section was put into operation on 23 June 1856. At the same time the central workshops for the entire route were established in Lingen.
In the following years, Rheine developed as a railway junction. On 27 June 1856, the Münster–Rheine line was opened and in 1865 the Almelo–Salzbergen line
Almelo–Salzbergen railway
The Almelo-Salzbergen railway is an important Dutch and German 54 kilometre long railway line, that connects Almelo with Salzbergen, offering a rail link between The Netherlands and Germany.-History:...
was opened, connecting to the Dutch network.
Transfer to Prussia
After the Austro-Prussian WarAustro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, the Kingdom of Hanover was annexed by Prussia. The Royal Hanoverian State Railways became Prussian property and on 15 December 1866, it became a division of the Prussian state railways
Prussian state railways
The term Prussian state railways encompasses those railway organisations that were owned or managed by the State of Prussia...
, based in Hanover.
The section of line between Emden and Rheine was acquired by the 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...
on 1 January 1868.