After the completion of the Franconian Forest Railway in 1885 the first petition to have a branch to Weißenbrunn built was made in 1899 to the government in Munich.

On 26 June 1908 approval under the Lokalbahn law was given to plan and build the Sekundärbahn.

Problems in acquiring the necessary land meant that the start of construction was delayed until 1914 and, due to the First World War, the line was not opened until 1 August 1916.

Goods traffic continued to consist of two pairs of trains daily until the 1960s.

On 24 September 1994 the line was provisionally closed; formal closure followed on 1 March 1995.