The colloquially common name Heidekrautbahn is based on the fact that many Berlin used the train to excursions in the Schorfheide and the end point of the route, the village Groß Schönebeck, is considered the gateway to the Schorfheide.
The starting point of the Heidekrautbahn was the Berlin-Wilhelmsruh station. With the construction of the Berlin Wall, the station was closed and tracks in this area mined. A section of the road to the Pankow plant of the Stadler Rail, formerly the seat of a plant of the Bergmann-Borsig company, has been preserved. From here there is still occasional freight traffic. The route continues along the border of the district of Pankow to the district of Reinickendorf, past the Märkisches Viertel. From here there are occasional special trips on the route. The heather path continues north, later north-east, via Berlin-Blankenfelde, Schildow, Mühlenbeck to Schönwalde. North of the local station opens a connecting link built in 1950 from Berlin-Karow station over which the places on the heather are now connected with Berlin.
In the Basdorf station, the heather path branches into two branches.
The western branch with the stations Zühlsdorf (in operation), Wensickendorf (in operation), Zehlendorf (trial from April 16 to December 31, 2007 in operation), Kreuzbruch and sand mountains originally led to Liebenwalde and is since December 1, 1997 only still in operation until Wensickendorf. To Wensickendorf runs every hour a train, in 2007 there were short trains with caster to Zehlendorf. At weekends, the trains branch off in Wensickendorf on the goods outer ring and continue to the breakpoint Schmachtenhagen.
Towards the northeast, the route leads to Groß Schönebeck via the stations Wandlitz, Wandlitzsee, Klosterfelde, Lottschesee, Ruhlsdorf-Zerpenschleuse and Klandorf. Until Klosterfelde it is served every hour until Groß Schönebeck every two hours.
Source: Wikipedia