It is the shortest link from Brunswick to Erfurt and is worked today by Lint multiples from Brunswick via Salzgitter, Seesen and Osterode to Herzberg mainly at hourly intervals.

It was planned as a long-distance route; and its trackbed laid for two tracks.

Since then, introducing of weekend services and of clock-face scheduling has made it significantly more attractive to travellers.

In 2004 two new stops were opened in Osterode (O. Leege and O. Mitte) because the halts there were not particularly well sited.

In the medium term the line should be controlled from an electronic signal box in Göttingen which is currently under construction.