▁a ▁network ▁of ▁important ▁railway ▁connections ▁between ▁Berlin ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Sax ony , ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Province ▁of ▁Sax ony , ▁and ▁the ▁du chy ▁of ▁An halt , ▁with ▁a ▁total ▁length ▁of ▁ 4 3 0 ▁kilom eters ▁at ▁its ▁a pe x . ▁ ▁An ▁initial ▁plan ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁railway ▁between ▁Berlin ▁and ▁R iesa , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁Leipzig – D res den ▁railway , ▁failed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁railway ▁politics ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Pr uss ia . ▁ ▁Therefore , ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 6 ▁the ▁company ▁decided ▁to ▁purs ue ▁an ▁alternative ▁route ▁in ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁du chy ▁of ▁An halt , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 9 ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁from ▁Berlin - S ächs ische ▁Eisen bahn - G es ellschaft ▁to ▁Berlin - An halt ische ▁Eisen bahn - G es ellschaft . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁railway ▁constructed ▁by ▁the ▁B AE ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 1 - kil ometer - long ▁line ▁between ▁Kö then ▁and ▁the ▁du cal ▁res iden cy ▁of ▁D ess au , ▁which ▁opened ▁on ▁ 1 ▁September ▁ 1 8 4 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁mid - August ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁this ▁line ▁was ▁then ▁extended ▁by ▁another ▁ 3 7 ▁kilom eters ▁to ▁W itten berg , ▁made ▁famous ▁by ▁Martin ▁Luther . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 8 4 1 , ▁the ▁railway ▁ran