The SNB wanted the line from Lake Constance (Bodensee) to western Switzerland to be as short as possible and it therefore passed economically significant places, but it was planned to connect Zothingen to Solothurn, which was already connected to Olten by the Gäu Railway (Gäubahn) of the network of the Swiss Central Railway (Schweizerische Centralbahn; SCB).

The lack of traffic due to competition from existing rail companies and the economic crisis triggered by the Panic of 1873 (or Gründerkrach, German for "foundation crash", referring to the foundation of the German Empire in 1871) caused the SNB to declare bankruptcy after only four months of continuous operation, after which the NOB acquired its network from the bankrupt estate on 1 October 1880.

The line runs from Zofingen via Striegel to Suhr and thus bypasses the area around Olten in the canton of Solothurn.

The Gruemet–Wettingen line is only used regularly by freight traffic to serve the Mellingen tank farm and the sidings in Baden Oberstadt.

If the Heitersberg Tunnel is closed due to maintenance work or single-track operation is necessary, it is still used as a backup route (mostly running from west to east).