The Palatine Northern Railways Company (Gesellschaft der Pfälzischen Nordbahnen) – abbreviated to Palatine Northern Railway (Pfälzer Nordbahn) - was founded on 17 April 1866 as the last of the three major private railway companies in the Bavarian province of the Palatinate. The construction of the most important northern railway lines was then started: On 1 January 1909 the company was nationalised and absorbed into the Royal Bavarian State Railways.