The committees also contacted the Swiss Northeastern Railway (Schweizerische Nordostbahn; NOB) and the canton to implement their ideas.

Because of the greater time savings, it was eventually decided to build the branch to Dielsdorf for steam operations.

To ensure completion according to the concession of May 1865, the NOB intervened and carried out the construction of the substructure using piece work.

This was significant because the NOB opened the Eglisau–Neuhausen line on 1 June 1897, making the Oerlikon–Bülach section part of the main connection between Zürich HB and Schaffhausen.

Construction work began in the mid-1970s in the Oberhauserriet area, as a result of which the approximately two and a half kilometre-long section between Oerlikon and Opfikon has changed profoundly.

A seventh track was built for freight trains as part of the access route to the Limmattal marshalling yard and replaced the former Seebach–Schärenmoos connecting curve.

The branch line from Oberglatt to Dielsdorf was extended by the NOB on 12 August 1891 as part of the so-called Wehntalbahn (Wehntal Railway) to Niederweningen.

The Wehntal Railway was the second-last line of the SBB with commercial passenger traffic to be electrified with electric operations beginning on 28 May 1960.