On 26 March 2007, the Verein Brexbachtalbahn e. V (Brexbach Valley Railway Association) was founded in Bendorf.

As part of a celebration of the 125th birthday of the Brexbach Valley Railway on 30 May 2009 and on the following Pentecost, the section was restored to service with a steam train shuttle services for tourist traffic after Transport Minister, Hendrik Hering cut a red and white ribbon to reopen the line.

In 2004, test runs were carried out with a Vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft diesel multiple unit on the Holzbach Valley Railway between Altenkirchen and Raubach.

Since then Westerwaldbahn (WEBA) has operated freight trains over it together with the Raubach–Altenkirchen section, including to a siding in Neitersen and the Schütz factory in Selters.

The section from the Altenkirchen to Au (Sieg), also known as the Upper Westerwald Railway (Oberwesterwaldbahn) was opened on 1 May 1887.

On 23 May 1993, the line between Au and Altenkirchen was converted to a simplified form of signalling and train control known as Zugleitbetrieb.

At the timetable change on 14 December 2014, Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) took over operation of services on the Upper Westerwald Railway from Vectus Verkehrsgesellschaft for a period of 16 years.