The Hanover–Altenbeken railway is a two-track electrified main line in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

After the financial decline of the HAE, it was nationalised in 1880 and operated as part of the Prussian state railways.

The original starting point was Hannover Localbahnhof (local station), later called Südbahnhof (south station), north of Bismarckstraße that had a connection to the railway yards at Pferdeturm, now used for sidings, which gave a further connection to the line to Lehrte and Brunswick.

In southern Hanover the line ran along the street today called Altenbekener Damm to Linden/Fischerhof station.

The current route, which continues further south, was opened on 26 June 1909 as part of the Hanover freight train bypass.

Kaiserrampe (Emperor platform) station was opened between Völksen/Eldagsen and Springe (west of the present bridge over the B 217) in 1887.