Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry

The Rheinhausen–Hochfeld train ferry was a German train ferry on the Rhine between Rheinhausen and Hochfeld, now districts of Duisburg. It was built by the Rhenish Railway Company and commenced operations on 23 August 1866.

Following the development of railways on the left bank (the part of the 19th century Prussian Rhine Province that was west of the Rhine) from Cologne to Kleve (the West Lower Rhine line), Aachen (the Cologne–Aachen line) and Bingerbrück (the West Rhine railway ) by the Rhenish Railway Company (Rheinische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, RhE) investigated, under its President, Gustav von Mevissen, a rail connection to serve the coal mines in the Ruhr district. The very lucrative coal traffic there was then only served by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company (Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) and the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME).

Planning began in 1860 on a new railway line from Osterath on the Cologne–Krefeld line over the Rhine to Essen and later on to Dortmund. Prior to the Austro-Prussian War, the Prussian military opposed the building of a fixed bridge across the Rhine for military reasons, except in fortified cities such as Cologne, Mainz, Koblenz and Düsseldorf. Therefore, a ferry was needed between the left bank in the current Duisburg districts of Rheinhausen and Hochfeld. The Prussian government concession for the railway was issued on 9 March 1863 and the concession for the ferry was issued on 16 July 1863. Construction of the railway commenced immediately. Before commencing work on the ferry, the Rhenish Railway waited for the completion of its Spyck–Welle train ferry so that it could use technology being tested there.

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