In 1837, plans were submitted for a rail link from Riesa, a major freight hub on the Elbe river, to Chemnitz and on to Zwickau, which was significant as a coal-producing region.

After the Leipzig–Dresden railway was opened, connecting the industrial city of Chemnitz to Leipzig and Dresden, even if it involved a detour via Riesa, was given the highest priority.

Although work began in 1845, the cost of building viaducts, retaining walls and earthworks in the Zschopau valley quickly put the company into financial distress.

Already in 1845 strikes began to occur due to the lack of payment of wages to workers; the revolution of 1848 further complicated construction.

Großbauchlitz (Döbeln Nord since 1932) station was connected in 1905 by a 1 km-long trolleybus-like system for freight from Günther's flour mill; it was replaced in 1914 by a siding.

Reparations to the Soviet Union led to the complete dismantling of the second track, which made operating during the next 45 years very difficult on this heavily trafficked mainline route.

Prior to the electrification of 1991, the roofs of two "artificial" tunnels (which were built in the early years of the line to avoid rock falls and snow drifts) were removed.

Since as a result of the construction of this section, the Chemnitz-Riesa railway company went bankrupt and had to be taken over by the state, it is commonly known even today as the "bankruptcy mile".

The line then follows a steep and rocky slope along the left bank of the river, which it crosses on the 49 m-high, 210 m-long Diedenmühle Bridge over Steinaer Bach (stream), which here flows in a deep valley to the Zschopau.

East of the viaduct is a 28 m-high and 165 m-long steel girder bridge of the abandoned freight railway to Kriebethal near Kriebstein.