The first plans to build a direct rail link between Hamburg and Lübeck were put forward in 1831.

This provided a connection between Lübeck and the Berlin-Hamburg railway, but meant that trains to Hamburg had to take the route via Büchen.

This was approximately 32 km (20 mi) longer that the direct line, which was only opened by the LBE on 1 August 1865.

The construction of the Great Belt Bridge between Funen and Zealand significantly reduced long-distance rail traffic on the Hamburg–Lübeck–Copenhagen route.

Since December 2007 Deutsche Bahn ICE TD (withdrawn from 2016) and DSB IC3 trains have operated on the route.

Starting in 2017, the Hamburg–Bad Oldesloe section will be upgraded for S-Bahn operations with new stations at Claudiusstraße, Bovestraße, Holstenhofweg and Pulverhof.

[3] By 2018, the railway crossing at the Hammer Straße in Marienthal will be replaced by an underpass, which is seen as a prerequisite for the expansion of the S-Bahn.