"In other words, you want to find a railway company with the relevant qualifications and some experience, but not one that is too large," Prince Karl Anton summed up.
"That's right, Uncle Karl," Ernst said.
"Hmm, I'll keep an eye out for you. Prussia has now consolidated the North German Federation and will certainly carry out unified reforms of the railway systems in the various states within its territory. Some companies will inevitably fail to adapt.
"But don't set your hopes too high. Prussia has always attached great importance to railway construction, so it uses a mixed model of state-owned and private railways. And in my view, King Wilhelm I, Bismarck, and the military all want to further strengthen railway nationalization, which will inevitably increase investment in related fields.
"So railway operations in the north may be in relatively good condition. Above all, they may not lack orders, making prices difficult to bargain down.
"After all, the Prussian Government stands behind them. If the price is too low, they certainly will not agree; they can sell poorly run operations to the government at a premium.
"Southern Germany, on the other hand, offers great opportunities, I think. The south is still relatively loose, its standards are rather chaotic, and most importantly, the market is not doing very well.
"Even with the Zollverein in place, the various states still have their own degrees of closeness and distance, especially those caught between Austria and Prussia.
"But in the end, we will still have to see the results of the investigation. I'll have someone look into it, sort the information out after a while, and send it to you. Once you have made your choice, I'll help you get in touch with them," Prince Karl Anton said.
"Thank you, Uncle Karl. When the time