The Lichterfelde electric railway starts operation
In 1880, local opposition foiled the plans of Werner Siemens to build an elevated electric railway along Friedrichstrasse in the centre of Berlin. Turning his attention to a new project, he decided to build a tram line linking the Central Prussian Cadet School in Lichterfelde to the centre of Berlin. He had a ready-made customer base, as the presence of the most important German military academy in Prussia had established Lichterfelde as a thriving town and its inhabitants needed a fast and affordable means of getting to the centre of Berlin.
A temporary 2.4 km light railway from Berlin to Lichterfelde had been built in the 1870s to transport the materials needed to build the military academy. Taking advantage of this previously levelled ground, the company Siemens und Halske was quickly able to open the “Electric Railway in Lichterfelde” on 16 May 1881. It is considered to be the first electrically operated tram line in the world.

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