From Neustadt to Winden in runs mostly past the vineyards along the German Wine Route in the Palatinate, which however peter out towards the south.

On the Winden–Wissembourg section, it passes for most of its length the heathlands, the so-called "cattle belt" (Viehstrich) and runs along the western edge of the Bienwald forest.

The intention was a trunk route from Strasbourg to Mainz, that would form a counterpart, west of the Rhine, to a railway from Mannheim to Basel.

It was discussed at length, whether it was more pressing and desirable to build a route through the uplands from Neustadt via Landau to Wissembourg or to establish a railway line along the Rhine via Speyer, Germersheim and Wörth.

In 1852 the decision finally fell in favour of the higher route after expert opinion and studies had been conducted in the spring.

On 3 November that same year the Bavarian king, Maximilian II, gave the green light for the construction, by approving the foundation of a limited company (Aktiengesellschaft), that was to set the project in motion.

The main station at Landau was rebuilt and considerably expanded in 1872 on the opening of the Lower Queich Valley railway (Untere Queichtalbahn - Germersheim–Landau).

The long-haul trains on the Maximilian Railway worked the Amsterdam – Cologne – Bingerbrück – Rockenhausen – Neustadt – Wissembourg – Strasbourg – Basel route.

Once the World War I had broken out in 1914, scheduled services came to a standstill in order that the line could be guaranteed for military purposes.

In particular the railway, that from 1920 was operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahngesellschaft (DRG), largely lost its importance for long-distance traffic, because from then on most of it switched to the eastern side of the Rhine.

In 2003 the main station at Neustadt was modernised as part of the introduction of RheinNeckar S-Bahn onto the Palatine Ludwig Railway.

From 1 to 3 October 2005 steam trains belonging to the Ulmer Eisenbahnfreunde (UEF) ran on the Maxbahn on the occasion of its 150th anniversary.

On Sundays and public holidays from May to October five pairs of long distance regional and excursion trains run: In addition a pair of trains under the name Strasbourg Express runs all year round at weekends without stopping from Neustadt to Strasbourg Gare Centrale.

The Palatine Maximilian Railway can be used in the whole of the Rhineland-Palatinate and French sections with passes issued by the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Neckar including Maximiliansau Eisenbahnstrasse.

Since 1997 Regionalexpress (RE) trains run on the Maximilians Railway stopping en route in Wörth, Kandel, Winden and Landau.

Even the passenger train from Pirmasens Hauptbahnhof to BASF has to reverse in Neustadt Hbf as before without stopping to run through from Maikammer-Kirrweiler to Hassloch.

In addition there are in Landau numerous goods sidings, that ran into the town centre, that have since completely disappeared, although sometimes the trackbeds are still visible as overgrown paths between the buildings and squares.