[1] Whilst the track is owned by DB Netz AG, passenger services on the Elztalbahn are provided by the Breisgau S-Bahn, whose trains continue over the Upper Rhine Valley line to Freiburg Central Station.

The Baden government established the legal basis for the construction on 30 March 1872 and a concession for it was granted on 29 August of the same year.

[3] Operation of the line, which was opened on 1 January 1875, was transferred to the Grand Duchy of Baden State Railways (Großherzoglich Badische Staatseisenbahnen) in 1887.

The Elz Valley Railway was extended by twelve kilometres to its current terminus in Elzach in 20 August 1901.

[5] An electrified 750 mm gauge railway to the Gütermann sewing thread factory connected at Gutach station.

[6] In the following years the passenger service was expanded and the railway facilities were completely refurbished and renewed.

The electrification of the line, the construction of a crossing loop in Gutach and the modernisation of the signal technology with the building an electronic control centre in Waldkirch were planned to be completed by 2018.