– H amb urg ▁Railway ▁Company ▁() ▁and ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁line . ▁The ▁first ▁ten ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁share ▁capital , ▁amount ing ▁to ▁a ▁total ▁of ▁eight ▁million ▁th al ers , ▁was ▁subscri bed ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 , ▁so ▁that ▁construction ▁could ▁start ▁near ▁Ludwig sl ust ▁immediately . ▁Up ▁to ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁were ▁employed ▁on ▁the ▁construction ▁at ▁its ▁peak . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁section ▁to ▁be ▁opened ▁was ▁the ▁ ▁route ▁from ▁Berlin ▁to ▁Bo izen burg , ▁which ▁was ▁put ▁into ▁operation ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁October ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁The ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁ ▁section ▁to ▁Ber ged orf , ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 6 , ▁completed ▁the ▁line ’ s ▁construction . ▁T ogether ▁with ▁the ▁Hamburg – Ber ged orf ▁railway , ▁which ▁had ▁opened ▁for ▁passenger ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁May ▁ 1 8 4 2 ▁and ▁for ▁fre ight ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁the ▁total ▁Berlin – H amb urg ▁line ▁was ▁put ▁into ▁operation ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁December ▁ 1 8 4 6 . ▁The ▁Hamburg - Ber ged orf ▁Railway ▁Company ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁Berlin – H amb urg ▁Railway ▁Company . ▁In ▁Hamburg , ▁the ▁Berlin ▁station ▁( Ber lin er ▁Bahnhof ) ▁was ▁opened ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁present ▁De icht or h allen . ▁It ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁reception