Saarbrücken Railway

The Royal Administration of the Saarbrücken Railway (Königliche Direction der Saarbrücker Eisenbahn) was established on 22 May 1852 with the goal of managing and operating the soon to be opened state railway line from the (then) border with Bavaria near Bexbach via Neunkirchen and St. Johann-Saarbrücken to the French border at Forbach.

Shortly later, on 1 April 1881, these lines became part of the Royal Railway Administration (left Rhine) in Cologne (Königlichen Eisenbahn-Direction (linksrheinisch) in Köln).

The Palatine Ludwig Railway Company (Pfälzische Ludwigsbahn-Gesellschaft) opened its main line from Homburg to the Prussian border on 25 August 1849.

On 29 August 1861 the Trier western line was opened from a junction at Konz to the Luxembourg border at Wasserbillig.

Upstream a line was opened on 1 June 1870 to Sarreguemines in Lorraine, which was occupied by German troops at the time during the Franco-Prussian War.