Royal Division of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway

Founded with " the highest decree of March 4, 1850 " Royal Direction of the Aachen- Dusseldorf - Ruhrorter Railway with headquarters in Aachen operation from April 1, 1850, these two since their founding cooperating railway companies:

• Ruhrort - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company, founded in 1844 and nationwide wonderfully confirmed on 21 August 1846. Prussian concession of 8 January 1847 construction of the section of Homberg about Trompet, Uerdingen and Viersen to Gladbach.
• Aachen- Düsseldorf- Neuss - Railway Company, founded in 1846 and nationwide wonderfully confirmed on 8 January 1847. Prussian concession of 21 August 1846 construction of the line from Aachen on Gladbach, Neuss to Dusseldorf.

Foundation

The Ruhrort - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway Company built the railway from Homberg am Rhein via Krefeld to Viersen with a length of 33.6 kilometers and it opened on October 15, 1849. Due to financial difficulties, the company received a government guaranteed interest. In the Treaty of 26 September 1846, agreed that the Prussian state takes over the further construction and the operation and management of the railways for both companies.

Streckenbau

With effect from April 1, 1850 both rail companies handed over the management of the Royal Railway Office in Aachen.

This took the other track construction as follows:

For the Rhine station was only freight. Here the goods were transhipped to the shipping or further transported with carts on the Düsseldorf boat bridge.

The initiators of the railway line in the area of ​​industry in space Krefeld and Mönchengladbach wanted the domestic industry a favorable access to raw materials from overseas via the port of Antwerp and a cheap fuel supply of Ruhr coal permit. At the same time train connections facilitated the sales of their own products. To avoid the costly transhipment of goods from crossing the Rhine - the construction of a railway bridge of Ruhr place to Homberg, the military had not allowed - agreed the Ruhr place - Crefeld circle Gladbach Railway on March 29, 1849 contract with the Cologne - Minden railway a Trajektbetrieb over the Rhine between Ruhrort and Homberg for freight and passenger cars.

The Eisenbahntrajekt Ruhrort -Homberg took on 12 November 1852 its operation. Initially the wagons on ropes on inclined planes on the non-drive Ponten were lowered and pulled up by locomotives on ropes again on the other side. A steam ship with both sides coupled Ponten got the crossing. So could be set up to 700 cars a month. In order to increase the efficiency of Trajektanstalt, built both railway companies in 1854 on both banks of lifting towers over which the wagons could be hydraulically raised or lowered from the ferry. After commissioning on May 1, 1856 was the Fährleistung of approx. 30,000 cars on rd. 50,000 cars will be increased annually.

Takeover by the Bergisch- Märkische Railway Company

The construction of the Witten- Duisburg railway line about eating the Bergisch- Märkische Railway Company had in 1862 developed its own access to the coal mines of the Ruhr and was thus in a position that offers so far there exclusively make Cologne - Minden railway competition. To dissipate the coals in the direction of Belgium, the Netherlands and the sea harbors they decided to build a connecting line from Mülheim- Styrum to Ruhrorter port that was completed in 1867.

In order to achieve the broader goal, they turned the Prussian state the funds to acquire all shares of the Aachen- Dusseldorf - Ruhrorter railroad are available. Then, the management of the Aachen- Dusseldorf - Ruhrorter railroad was transferred in Elberfeld on 8 January 1866, the Royal Directorate of Bergisch- Märkischen railway and the Directorate dissolved in Aachen. Thus, the Aachen- Dusseldorf - Ruhrorter railway company was merged on January 1, 1866, the Bergisch- Märkischen Railway Company.