The section from Weil der Stadt to Calw was closed to passenger services in 1983 and goods traffic ceased in 1988.

In 1865, the parliament of Württemberg determined to build the Black Forest Railway from Stuttgart via Leonberg and Weil der Stadt to Calw.

As part of the establishment of the S-Bahn, a 1 kilometre-long flying junction was built in Zuffenhausen station for the line to Weil der Stadt with an elevated platform and ramps with a 3.0 percent grade.

This allows S-Bahn services to operate with longer travel times, but greater stability, with train now scheduled to cross in Malmsheim rather than in Weil der Stadt.

Class VT 98 rail buses, which are similar to Uerdingen railbuses, were also used from 1953 and these took over all the services on the line a few years later.

Deutsche Bundesbahn sought legal permission to close freight operations on this section on 16 July 1986.

The volume of traffic was estimated at that time to be 220 wagons per year, while the investment required to maintain operations on the line was approximately DM 1 million.

In 1988, the Stuttgart traffic scientist Gerhard Heimerl, in response for a request for an expert opinion, designed several route studies for a Stadtbahn connection between Calw and Böblingen.

An updated benefit-cost analysis, this time involving the possible extension of the Stuttgart S-Bahn from Weil der Stadt on the disused section to Calw was tested as an alternative to diesel or light rail options, resulted in the extension of the S-Bahn system having by far the highest benefit cost ratio BCR of 2.01, followed by the option of an isolated operation with light rail vehicles with a benefit cost factor of 1.45 and the diesel-powered railway with a BCR of 1.22.

An upgrade to allow S-Bahn operations would cost about 50 percent more than provided in this concept and so the benefit-cost ratio would be below the eligibility limit of 1.0.

Integration into the fare system of the VVS is planned, but with a separate ticket, which should also be valid for the Stuttgart S-Bahn network.

[11] After completion of the "standardised evaluation", the Calw district released funds for the tendering of the required planning services amounting to an estimated €2.4 million in October 2013.

In a second stage of operation, fuel cell vehicles (LINT[14]) would be used or the S 6 would be extended from Weil der Stadt to Calw.

[16] In September 2017, it was announced that the reopening would be postponed until December 2020 because of many legal disputes, especially in relation to nature conservation.

[17] In order to be able to run in the peak hours at 30-minute intervals, the construction of a double-track section is provided at Ostelsheim so that trains can meet on the otherwise single-track route.

At Schafhausen, the line is to run through the Hacksberg (mountain) in a new tunnel, in order to avoid the detour via the loop there and thus shorten the travel time.

On 27 January 2017, the University of Stuttgart, Thales and DB Netz AG submitted a funding application to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure to test the suitability of ETCS Level 2 between Renningen and Weil der Stadt.