Sidings were opened to the Solvay Company’s factory and to a salt mine in southern Bernburg.

The second track was removed after World War II between Köthen and Güsten to provide reparations to the Soviet Union.

In the post-war period, many trains carrying spoil from open-cut lignite mines operated over the line.

Since 2004, the Elbe Saale Bahn (a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn) has had the contract to operate Regionalbahn services of the Altmark–Börde–Anhalt network on the line every hour with class 642 (Siemens Desiro Classic) diesel multiple units.

Similarly, Regionalbahn trains are operated by Elbe Saale Bahn between Bernburg and Calbe every two hours.

Between Bernburg and Baalberge (and continuing to Halle), Veolia Verkehr Sachsen-Anhalt operates services (branded as HarzElbeExpress, HEX) every two hours with LINT 27 diesel multiple units.

The route is heavily used by freight services, with the sidings of Schwenk cement, Solvay GmbH and K + S in Bernburg providing regular consignments.