 On 31 July 1859, services opened on the 6 km long route that, for the most part, followed the northern bank of the river Main.It was initially operated by the Frankfurt-Hanau Railway Company and, from 1872, the Hessian Ludwig Railway Company ("Hessische-Ludwigs-Eisenbahngesellschaft").Since the annexation of the free city into the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866 the line has remained in the ownership of the city authorities.