Its name refers to the fact that the line connects several places that play an important role in the Nibelung legend.

In the 1860s, the preliminary planning phase began, with both the town of Bensheim and the more southerly located Heppenheim campaigning to be picked as the starting point of the Odenwald line.

It had been decided to build the Worms–Bensheim route, with the line between Worms and Hofheim shared with the Ried Railway (Riedbahn).

The remaining Nibelung Railway is still only a lightly used branch line, operated by Deutsche Bahn (DB) with diesel multiple units of class 628 as Regionalbahn service RB 63.

The fares of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (Rhine-Main Transport Association, RMV) also apply for travel towards Darmstadt and Frankfurt.