ðə pɹˈɛzɪdənt ʌvðə ɹˈeɪlweɪ dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹˌeɪt kəlˈoʊn, pˈɔːl vˈɑːn bɹˈeɪtənbˌɑːx, stˈɑːɹɾᵻd plˈænɪŋ ðə kənstɹˈʌkʃən ænd hˈændᵻd ˌoʊvɚ ðɪs wˈɜːk tə hɪz səksˈɛsɚ ɹˈuːdɑːlf ʃmˈɪt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪks.
The president of the Railway Directorate Cologne, Paul von Breitenbach, started planning the construction and handed over this work to his successor Rudolf Schmidt in 1906.