Until 1978, the Deutsche Bundesbahn passenger service ran from Bochum-Langendreer via Bochum-Nord, Bochum-Riemke to Wanne-Eickel (see Bochum-Riemke–Wanne-Eickel line below).

After the construction of a connecting curve from Bochum Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) to the line towards Riemke in 1979,[2] passenger services ran until 1990 from Bochum over the curve from Herne-Rottbruch to Herne,[3] but subsequently services ran via Wanne-Eickel to Gelsenkirchen Central Station.

[4] Herne Rottbruch station represented a special case for operations, because it is located on a bridge over autobahn 43, but it has not been served since 1990.

The Stadler Flirt electric multiple units on the line were acquired from the previous operator DB Regio.

West of the mine and the neighbouring Königsgrube (“king's pit”) colliery was in places less than 100 metres away from the Gelsenkirchen-Wattenscheid–Wanne-Eickel railway (line 2232, see below).

However, the route was temporarily used in 1949 for the Katholikentag (“Catholic's day”) pilgrimages to Bochum, because the Bochum-Riemke–Wanne-Eickel line (discussed above) was overloaded.

[14] Parts of the line at the Carolinenglück mine were used for the route of an iron ore railway built from the Rhine-Herne Canal to the Bochumer Verein steel works in the early 20th century.