It runs from Sigmaringendorf via Bingen to Hanfertal (a village in Sigmaringen) and is single track and non-electrified throughout.

[2] Since the Prussian Province of Hohenzollern (Hohenzollern Lands) was an elongated territory partly surrounded by the Kingdom of Württemberg, the line of the Royal Württemberg State Railways (Königlich Württembergischen Staats-Eisenbahnen) at this time only used the shortest route through this "foreign" area and only served the two district towns of Hechingen (from 1869) and Sigmaringen (from 1878).

[3] For the first time trains ran between Hechingen, Kleinengstingen and Sigmaringendorf and connected with other lines in these places.

Less than two years later, the line lost importance when the shortcut from Hanfertal to Sigmaringen Landesbahn station was completed on 5 October 1910.

[3] In the course of the nationwide closure of branch lines, the HzL also switched passenger transport to bus service on some routes between 1968 and 1973.