The Hantzbahn was a 25.7 km (16 mi) long narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) from Saint-Blaise-la-Roche in Alsace over the Hantz Pass and beyond.

[3] The railway was 25.7 km (16 mi) long and connected Saint-Blaise-la-Roche with Ban-de-Sapt to transport weapons, ammunition and supplies to the front and to return wounded soldiers in the opposite direction to hospitals.

The highest point of the railway was 798 m (2,618 ft) at Col des Braques about 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Saales.

The operation was organized according to a timetable with precise service instructions regarding the type of locomotives, the number of wagons, the speeds and the tonnages that had to be complied with depending on the section of the route.

The old customs house on the road to the Col du Hantz, the former border station at the top of the pass and the Château des St Louis on the D61 are still standing.