The main purpose of the line was to promote the development of mines in order to increase freight traffic.

The shortest connection between the cities (now state capitals) of Magdeburg and Erfurt runs over the Schönebeck–Güsten railway.

Services from Magdeburg to Bad Salzelmen had already been intensified at that time, while on the other sections passenger trains ran approximately hourly.

In the winter of 1975, three pairs of express trains operated between Magdeburg and Erfurt, stopping in Schönebeck, Staßfurt and Güsten.

According to the law of 23 August 1999 implementing the state development plan of Saxony-Anhalt, passenger services of InterRegio quality were to be made available between Magdeburg and Erfurt.

[7] Passenger traffic has been mainly operated with Siemens Desiro Classic (class 642) diesel railcars since 2006.

A Regionalbahn service operates on the line from Magdeburg Hauptbahnhof via Schönebeck, Staßfurt and Güsten to Aschersleben.

The DB expects to raise the speed to a maximum of 120 kilometres per hour with travel time reductions of between three and ten minutes.