The line was built from Leipzig-Plagwitz station in four stages from the mid-1970s onwards in accordance with the progressive development of the large residential estate in Leipzig-Grünau.

Due to a reduction in the provision of public transport funds by the Free State of Saxony, the Zweckverband für den Nahverkehrsraum Leipzig (Leipzig municipal association for urban transport, ZVNL) decided in February 2011 to suspend services on S-Bahn Line S1 and thus passenger operations on this line from 30 April 2011 until the opening of the City Tunnel.

[3] In March 2013, the ZVNL decided to restart services on the line from 15 December 2013 with a route from Leipzig-Grünau through the City Tunnel to Leipzig-Stötteritz or Wurzen.

In contrast to other new suburbs on the outskirts of German cities, the rest of the public transport network in Grünau is not geared primarily to a central rapid-transit line.

Instead, parallel tram lines run both north and south at a distance in both cases of approximately one kilometre and operate at a significantly higher frequency than the S-Bahn.