Thuringian Railway Company
Encyclopedia
The Thuringian Railway Company was a company that existed from 1844 to 1886 for the construction of railways in the Thuringia
n states.
. From the beginning a quarter of its share capital was held by the Kingdom of Prussia
; the Grand Duchy of Sachsen-Weimar and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
were also involved. Later the states of Saxe-Meiningen
, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
, Reuss Younger Line and the city of Mühlhausen
and the city and district of Langensalza
also participated in the company.
Its first line was the 189-kilometre Thuringian Railway—still a very important east-west link between Halle
and Gerstungen
—which was built in sections and put into operation as follows:
In the following years the network expanded with the following additional lines, reaching a total length of 505 kilometres:
The Thuringian Railway had a contract with the Werra Railway Company between 1856 and 1874 to build, operate and maintain its lines, including its main line
. The Thuringian Railway also managed the operation of the Gotha-Ohrdrufer Railway Company, opened on 8 May 1876.
Due to the importance of its lines, the Prussia
n government sought to take over the Thuringia Railway Company. It took over operation and management on 1 January 1882 and ownership on 1 July 1886.
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
n states.
History
The Thuringian Railway Company was founded in 1844 at ErfurtErfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
. From the beginning a quarter of its share capital was held by the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
; the Grand Duchy of Sachsen-Weimar and the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg
Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg was a duchy ruled by the Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in today's Thuringia, Germany.It was nominally created in 1672 when Frederick William III, the last duke of Saxe-Altenburg, died and Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha , inherited the major part of his possessions...
were also involved. Later the states of Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany with its capital at Rudolstadt.-History:Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands...
, Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with capital at Sondershausen.-History:...
, Reuss Younger Line and the city of Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen is a city in the federal state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Unstrut-Hainich district, and lies along the river Unstrut. Mühlhausen had c. 37,000 inhabitants in 2006.-History:...
and the city and district of Langensalza
Bad Langensalza
Bad Langensalza is a city in the County of Unstrut-Hainich, Thuringia, Germany, with a population of c. 18,500 .-History:...
also participated in the company.
Its first line was the 189-kilometre Thuringian Railway—still a very important east-west link between Halle
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
and 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...
—which was built in sections and put into operation as follows:
- 6 June 1846: Halle–WeißenfelsWeißenfelsWeißenfels is the largest town of the Burgenlandkreis district, in southern Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Saale, approximately south of Halle.-History:...
, - 19 December 1846: Weißenfels–WeimarWeimarWeimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
, - 1 April 1847: Weimar–ErfurtErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, - 10 May 1847: Erfurt–GothaGotha (town)Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, - 24 June 1847: Gotha–EisenachEisenachEisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
- 25 September 1849: Eisenach–GerstungenGerstungenGerstungen 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...
, where the line connects with the Frederick William Northern Railway, which continued towards KasselKasselKassel 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 :...
.
In the following years the network expanded with the following additional lines, reaching a total length of 505 kilometres:
- 22 March 1856: Leipzig–Markranstädt–Großkorbetha, 32 km,
- 9 February/19 March 1859: Weißenfels–Zeitz–Gera, 60 km,
- 1 October 1864: Erfurt–Ilversgehofen freight railway, 4 km,
- 16 May 1867: Neudietendorf–Arnstadt, 10 km,
- 11 April 1870: Gotha–Mühlhausen, 40 km,
- 3 October 1870: Mühlhausen–Leinefelde, 27 km,
- 20 December 1871: Gera–Saalfeld–Eichicht, 77 km,
- 20 October 1873: Leipzig-Leutzsch–Zeitz, 38 km,
- 6 August 1879: Arnstadt–Ilmenau, 27 km.
The Thuringian Railway had a contract with the Werra Railway Company between 1856 and 1874 to build, operate and maintain its lines, including its main line
Werra Railway
The Werra Railway is a single-tracked main line with a standard gauge of 1,435 mm in Thuringia and Bavaria in southern and central Germany, that runs mostly along the river Werra. It runs from Eisenach via Meiningen to Eisfeld and, formerly, continued to Coburg and Lichtenfels. It was opened...
. The Thuringian Railway also managed the operation of the Gotha-Ohrdrufer Railway Company, opened on 8 May 1876.
Due to the importance of its lines, 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 sought to take over the Thuringia Railway Company. It took over operation and management on 1 January 1882 and ownership on 1 July 1886.