Since the Prussian Province of Hohenzollern (Hohenzollern Lands) was an elongated territory partly surrounded by the Kingdom of Württemberg, the line of the Royal Württemberg State Railways (Königlich Württembergischen Staats-Eisenbahnen) at this time only used the shortest route through this "foreign" area and only served the two district towns of Hechingen (from 1869) and Sigmaringen (from 1878).

This created a continuous rail connection 86 kilometres-long across the Hohenzollernsche Land from Eyach via Hechingen, Gammertingen and Hanfertal to Sigmaringendorf.

As early as 1934, the HzL procured the VT 1 and VT2 diesel multiple units and was able to significantly reduce the travel time between Eyach and Sigmaringen.

[2] In 1936, the VT 3 set was followed by another railcar,[2] which had to be scrapped in 1968 after a head-on collision near Hart (near Haigerloch), in which the driver died.

[3] In the course of the nationwide closure of branch lines, the Hohenzollerische Landesbahn also switched passenger transport to bus service on some routes between 1968 and 1973.