itter feld . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 ▁February ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁two ▁lines ▁tra ve led ▁from ▁there ▁to ▁Halle ▁and ▁Leipzig . ▁ ▁On ▁ 3 ▁August ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁when ▁W itten berg ▁was ▁ ▁connected ▁to ▁B itter feld , ▁the ▁railway ▁network ▁of ▁the ▁B AE ▁had ▁grown ▁by ▁another ▁ 1 2 5 ▁kilom eters . ▁ ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁new ▁lines , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁competition ▁from ▁other ▁railway ▁companies , ▁forced ▁the ▁constant ▁adjust ment ▁of ▁railway ▁services ▁to ▁correspond ▁with ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁day . ▁ ▁This ▁meant ▁that ▁the ▁initial ▁railway ▁connection ▁Berlin – W itten berg – D ess au – K ö then ▁f aded ▁in ▁significance ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁branch ▁line ▁( N eben bahn ). ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁passenger ▁rail ▁traffic ▁experienced ▁steady ▁growth , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁continued ▁expansion ▁of ▁industrial ization , ▁which ▁required ▁reliable ▁supply ▁of ▁fuel ▁and ▁raw ▁material , ▁especially ▁brown ▁coal ▁from ▁the ▁central ▁German ▁strip ▁mines , ▁rail ▁transport ▁saw ▁a ▁growth ▁period . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁however , ▁before ▁the ▁network ▁was ▁further ▁expanded . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁ 1 ▁October ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁the ▁B AE ▁purchased ▁the ▁ 1 3 - kil ometer - long ▁An halt ischen ▁Leop olds bahn , ▁which ▁travel s ▁from ▁Ross lau ▁to ▁Z er bst , ▁and