founded in 1846, the stargard-posen railway company ("stargard-posener eisenbahn-gesellschaft", spe) built a 170 km-long single-track main line, which connected the two provincial capitals of stettin and posen. the route crossed the main line of the eastern railway at kreuz station. because the company's revenue in the early days did not meet expectations, the government took over the spe in 1851 and placed it in the royal railway division of the eastern railroad in bromberg, then in 1857 it was also temporarily managed by the state-owned upper silesian railway ("oberschlesischen eisenbahn"). it was formally nationalised on 1 january 1883, although the company name was still used in july 1886.