<P> In 1878, the French government took over ten small failing railway companies and established the Chemin de fer de l'État . The company absorbed the Chemins de Fer de l'Ouest in 1908 . In 1938, the French state took 51% ownership of the newly formed SNCF merging of France's five main railways (100% in 1982). </P> <P> The earliest railways in the German states were often run by private entrepreneurs . Beginning in 1879, the Prussian government nationalized the major railways . After World War I, the German Reich took over control of the state railways of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Baden, Mecklenburg - Schwerin, Hesse and Oldenburg . The individual railways were merged into the Deutsche Reichsbahn - Gesellschaft in February 1924 . Due to impending war reparations, the DRG was a private company, but shares were bought by the Reich in 1937, effectively nationalizing the corporation . In World War II the DR assimilated a great number of railway companies in the German - occupied territories as well as several smaller, previously privately owned lines in Germany . Post-World War II, after being under Allied administration between 1945 and 1949, the DR was split up into the Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR, both state - owned . Private railways continued to exist in the West German realm of the DB, but DB and DR accounted for most of the rail traffic in post-war Germany . After German reunification, DB and DR became Deutsche Bahn AG in 1994 . Whilst DB AG is a public limited company, all its shares are presently owned by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany . DB AG is now facing stiff competition in the freight and short - distance passenger sector (the latter of which is subject to franchising), although they still hold a quasi-monopoly in the long - distance passenger sector (which does not receive subsidies), which was starting to crack until the opening of the long distance bus market destroyed the business case of any open access competition . The IPO, originally planned for 2008, has been postponed indefinitely and is currently not on the agenda of any major political party . </P> <P> Indian Railways has been state owned since 1951 . </P> <P> In Ireland Córas Iompair Éireann was formed from the merger of the Great Southern Railways with the Dublin United Transport Company on 1 January 1945 . Initially a private company limited by shares, CIÉ was nationalized in 1950 . The final privately owned mainline railway company on the island, the Great Northern Railway, was nationalized under joint control of the Irish and Northern Irish governments in 1953 . It was wound up in 1958 and its assets split between CIÉ and the UTA . </P>

When was the national ization of indian railway done