The route leaves the Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof together with the routes to Wurzburg, to Augsburg and to Crailsheim in the west, with the latter two branching off to the south or southwest, and the line to Bamberg and Wurzburg turning to the northwest and running parallel to the Frankenschnellweg (A73.
Next, the line then crosses the Frankenschnellweg again and runs between it on the right and the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal on the left through Eggolsheim, Buttenheim and Hirschaid to Strullendorf station, where the line to Schlüsselfeld branches off.