 The first branch lines to appear in Bavaria – indeed in Germany – were the so-called "Vizinalbahnen" ('neighbourhood lines').This was a legal term and envisaged the costs of real estate acquisition and line construction being raised locally, whilst profits would be shared between state and district, in accordance with the statuted dated 29 April 1869.The first line to be built was the 5.5 kilometre stretch from Siegelsdorf to Langenzenn opened on 25 May 1872.