The first sections of a line to the west of the city were built in the early 20th century as part of the Brandenburg Bypass Railway (Umgehungsbahn).

The completed section consisted of a mainly single-track link running from Teltow to Berlin-Karow to the south and east of Berlin.

The starting point was chosen because the Großbeeren marshalling yard was to be built south of Teltow.

Various projects to bypass Berlin were developed at the beginning of the 20th century, especially to remove rail freight from the lines through the city, and some were built.

[3] In March 1914 the Landtag of Prussia considered a draft railway bond bill, which included, among other things, funds for the construction of this connection, now extending in the new east to Mahlsdorf.

[4] While construction had not started at the outbreak of the First World War, its planning was being managed by the Prussian railways architect Waldemar Suadicani.

Operations on the 57 kilometre-long line were not expected to be profitable, but there was an urgent need for a relief railway network in Berlin and it was considered to have high military value.

[5] In 1922, after the First World War, 44 million Marks were approved for the construction of these projects in the budget of the Reich Ministry of Transport.

In fact, construction began in 1938 on a more northerly route from Teltow via Lichtenrade, Großziethen and Schönefeld.

The line was initially built temporary as a single track and to lower construction standards than planned with some narrow curves and steep inclines.

It had nothing to do with the original plan for the Outer Freight Ring, which would have run further south, partly through the area then belonging to West Berlin.

The section of the GAR between Teltow and Schönefeld could not be used because it crossed the border between West Berlin city and East Germany several times.

In 1957, the section of the GAR between Springpfuhl and Karow was closed and replaced by the new route of the largely two-track Berlin Outer Ring.

From 1957 until the completion of the Biesdorf Cross in 1971, the single-track GAR remained in operation between Springpfuhl Sgn signalbox and Wuhlheide.

[9] As a result of the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961, the line from Teltow to Schönefeld was almost completely dismantled, so that now its remains are hard to discern.

Services operated with railcars (approximately hourly) from Grünau towards Lichtenrade via Schönefeld and Großziethen were introduced on 26 July 1948.

Services were restored to Großziethen, but running over the newly built Berlin Outer Ring, first to Schöneweide from 1952 and to Grünau from 3 October 1954.