It began at Neuenmarkt-Wirsberg station (50°05′35.11″N 11°34′54.13″E / 50.0930861°N 11.5817028°E / 50.0930861; 11.5817028) and initially followed the line to Bayreuth.

Bischofsgrün station (50°03′14.05″N 11°46′28.53″E / 50.0539028°N 11.7745917°E / 50.0539028; 11.7745917) lay over a kilometre outside and a good 50 metres above the village.

In 1896 the railway reaches the spa town and former district capital of Bad Berneck, in 1897 Goldmühl and finally in 1898 the terminus at Bischofsgrün.

On 31 December 1993 goods traffic east from Lanzendorf was also withdrawn due to a landslide in the Fichtel Mountains.

Today the line has been dismantled, and trackbed disrupted by the extended A 9 motorway.