Since the route via Bamberg was not a satisfactory solution, planning began on a direct connection to Nuremberg.

A direct connection from Nuremberg to Bohemia was developed in three stages from Schnabelwaid to Cheb (then a mainly German-speaking city in the Austrian Empire, called Eger).

After crossing the Wöhrder See (lake) the line runs through the southern part of the Nuremberg suburbs of St. Jobst and Erlenstegen, continuing between the Sebald Reichwald (forest) and the Pegnitz through Behringersdorf and Rückersdorf.

On the eastern edge of Lauf the line crosses the A 9 to reach Neunkirchen station where the Schnaittach Valley Railway (Schnaittachtalbahn) branches off to Simmelsdorf-Hüttenbach and runs through Reichenschwand to Hersbruck.

After the station, the line turns northeast and runs from now on along the southern edge of the Fichtel Mountains.

Then the line runs further to the northwest through the Langentheilener Tunnel, where it crosses the Danube-Main watershed, and continues to Waldershof and Marktredwitz.

The Nuremberg–Haidenaab-Göppmannsbühl section is integrated in the Greater Nuremberg Transport Association (Verkehrsverbund Großraum Nürnberg, VGN) and served by R3 and R33 trains.

Since the timetable change on 10 December 2006, the Franken-Sachsen-Express Interregio-Express service operates on the line, using class 612 diesel multiple units (DMUs), from Nuremberg via Bayreuth or Marktredwitz to Hof, continuing via Chemnitz to Dresden, replacing an InterCity service.

The various Regional-Express services are operated with train portions separating or merging at Hersbruck and Pegnitz stations.

DB Regio Mittelfranken has operated Regionalbahn services on the Nuremberg–Neunkirchen–Neuhaus route since the timetable change on 14 December 2008 under the brand name of Mittelfrankenbahn, using class 648 DMUs.