The terms of the concession included the requirement to build a branch line from Frose to Ballenstedt to the summer residence of the dukes of Anhalt.

[3] As a result of the building of the line, plans for the development of railways in the eastern Harz could be realised some years earlier than would have been otherwise possible.

In 1887, the narrow-gauge Selke Valley Railway (Selketalbahn) was put into operation; this connected Gernrode to the standard gauge line from Frose.

Because of the tight curve radii, Rollbock or transporter wagons could not be used on the narrow gauge railway and freight had to be reloaded in Gernrode.

[6] Traffic on the railway line between Quedlinburg and Aschersleben was formally abandoned by the state on 31 December 2004, while the parallel bus service had been increased in the meantime.

The Federal Railway Authority (Eisenbahnbundesamt) approved the closure of the Frose–Gernrode section on 15 June 2004 and it was formalised on 31 July 2004.

Since 1990 there had been plans to install dual gauge track between Gernrode and Quedlinburg, which however failed for a long time due to the lack of financial support from the state and Deutsche Bahn.

Since various remaining works had to be carried out, only a few special trains operated until the start of scheduled passenger traffic on 26 June 2006.

This ran parallel to the track to Quedlinburg until shortly before the halt of Quedlinburg-Quarmbeck, where it curved to the right to the barracks area.

The Blankenburg–Quedlinburg railway (known as the Quäke) operated passenger services from track 1 West from 1908 to 1969 via Thale-Bodetal to Blankenburg (Harz).