 It formed part of a railway expansion project that would link Berlin with Cottbus and Görlitz, and then ultimately with cities such as Sagan (Żagań) and Breslau (Wrocław) (both in Poland since 1945) and Vienna in Austria.On 13 June 1866 a military train bound for the Austro-Prussian war became the first train to leave the then incomplete station site.The connection was one of convenience because the military had built their barracks in neighbouring Wrangelstraße.