The dawn of the railway age in Germany was in the mid-19th century, some time after its European neighbours. The first tracks had been laid in Britain in the 1820s, while Germany's first long-distance line – connecting Leipzig and Dresden – went into operation in 1839. A little earlier, in 1835, the locomotive "Adler" was already serving the six-kilometre line between Nuremberg and Fürth.
The vision document outlines the short- and medium-term plans of the Reserve Bank for the various payment and settlement systems in the country. The broad contours outlined in the document enable the banks to plan their initiatives in tune with the perspectives laid down in the Vision for the country as a whole.