 The Leinefelde–Silberhausen section was opened on 3 October 1870 as part of the Gotha–Leinefelde railway, which was built as part of a Hanover–Göttingen–Gotha–south Germany link and as result ran from the eastern end of Leinefelde station.Thus, trains on the Cannons Railway, when it was opened, had to change direction at the station.On 31 October 1875, the section between Eschwege and Eschwege West (then called Niederhone) was opened together with the Bebra–Eschwege-West line.