In 1839, Germany’s first long-distance rail line was officially inaugurated between Leipzig and Dresden. In the opening ceremony participated not only British locomotives, but also the first locomotive built in Germany, the “Saxonia”. This locomotive was manufactured by the “Maschinenbau-Anstalt Übigau” in the vicinity of Dresden. The “Saxonia” proved its worth with regard to its pulling power, speed, fuel consumption, and reliability. This marked the start of the success story of Saxony’s railway technology branch which can look back on 175 years of history today.