Traffic was initially completely interrupted at the demarcation line, especially since the bridges over the Elbe–Lübeck Canal in Büchen had been destroyed.

On 10 September 1949, passenger traffic was resumed with two pairs of trains, one operated by railcars of the Cologne class (Bauart Köln), which were derived from the Flying Hamburger.

However, the track capacity in Schwanheide was not sufficient to carry out border control procedures for passengers and freight.

[8] With the upgrade of the line as part of the German Unity Transport Projects (Verkehrsprojekte Deutsche Einheit), the section between Hagenow Land and Büchen via Schwanheide was electrified in 1996.

[9] Passengers who travelled on domestic trains to Schwanheide required a permit or a passport for the journey into the Federal Republic.

Railway employees had to swap their laissez-passers during working stays at the station in exchange for special passes so that the passport control unit had an overview of the people present.

To strengthen this policy, travellers in the area from outside the town were stopped at the limits of Boizenburg and asked about their reasons for a trip there.

On both sides of the station, the tracks were spanned by bridges carrying posts from which border troops observed the entering and exiting trains.

If graffiti, such as swastikas or slogans hostile to East Germany, were inscribed on oncoming freight trains from Büchen, they could be removed or painted over in Schwanheide.

Express trains pass through the station at high speeds, requiring the platforms to be secured by safety gates with warning signs.