The line begins in Aachen Hauptbahnhof, where it connects with the line from Liège, Belgium and with the line to Cologne.
Shortly later is the Aachen Schanz station, opened in 2004.
On the approach to Aachen West station is the junction with the Montzen Railway, which is exclusively used for freight trains to and from Belgium.

The track runs on a high embankment through western Aachen and then through a deep cutting, which used to be the location of Richterich station, but is now a crossover only.
In Richterich station there used to junction with the so-called Millions line (Millionen linie) to Simpelveld in the Netherlands.
The line runs to Kohlscheid station, which is at the top of the Kohlscheid ramp.
Bank engines were once needed to push heavy trains towards Aachen up the steep grade from Herzogenrath to Kohlscheid.
It was also the starting point for the now almost completely dismantled Stolberg–Kohlscheid line to Würselen.

In Herzogenrath there are junctions with the Stolberg–Herzogenrath line and the line to Heerlen in the Netherlands, which is served by the cross-border operator, euregiobahn.
There is also a connection in Herzogenrath to the Saint-Gobain glass factory.

The line runs through Übach-Palenberg halt and Geilenkirchen station, which once connected to the metre-gauge Geilenkirchen District Railway to Tüddern and Alsdorf.
Currently, the standard gauge rail link of the power company, WestEnergie und Verkehr GmbH is the only remnant of the district railway era.
The terrain becomes flat in Lindern, where there is a connection with the branch line to the city of Heinsberg.
The Lindern–Brachelen–Baal section of the line is on a high embankment across the low plain of the Rur river, which is crossed by a concrete bridge.

The next junction is at Baal, which between 1911 and 1980 was a “tower station” (Turmbahnhof), that is a two-level station, where the now largely closed Jülich–Dalheim line crossed on the lower level, while the platforms of the Aachen–Mönchengladbach line were on the upper level.
After Baal station the line crosses the largely rural country known as the Erkelenzer Börde (Westphalian for "fertile lowlands").

In the former Rheydt freight yard, the now closed Krefeld–Rheydt line and the current Moenchengladbach freight bypass branch off.
The latter allows freight trains to avoid the busy section between Rheydt Hauptbahnhof and Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof and run to Viersen-Helenabrunn station on the Mönchengladbach–Duisburg line.
There is also a parking area for trains running to the Siemens test and validation centre at Wegberg-Wildenrath.

Between the freight yard and Rheydt Hauptbahnhof, the Iron Rhine from Wegberg runs as a single track, parallel with the Aachen–Mönchengladbach line.
The lines from Cologne and Wegberg end in Rheydt Hauptbahnhof.

The combination of these lines in Rheydt leads to dense traffic of the last section of the line to Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof.
From there lines run to Duisburg and to Düsseldorf.
The line begins in Aachen Hauptbahnhof, where it connects with the line from Liège, Belgium and with the line to Cologne. Shortly later is the Aachen Schanz station, opened in 2004. On the approach to Aachen West station is the junction with the Montzen Railway, which is exclusively used for freight trains to and from Belgium.
The track runs on a high embankment through western Aachen and then through a deep cutting, which used to be the location of Richterich station, but is now a crossover only. In Richterich station there used to junction with the so-called Millions line (Millionen linie) to Simpelveld in the Netherlands. The line runs to Kohlscheid station, which is at the top of the Kohlscheid ramp. Bank engines were once needed to push heavy trains towards Aachen up the steep grade from Herzogenrath to Kohlscheid. It was also the starting point for the now almost completely dismantled Stolberg–Kohlscheid line to Würselen.
In Herzogenrath there are junctions with the Stolberg–Herzogenrath line and the line to Heerlen in the Netherlands, which is served by the cross-border operator, euregiobahn. There is also a connection in Herzogenrath to the Saint-Gobain glass factory.
The line runs through Übach-Palenberg halt and Geilenkirchen station, which once connected to the metre-gauge Geilenkirchen District Railway to Tüddern and Alsdorf. Currently, the standard gauge rail link of the power company, WestEnergie und Verkehr GmbH is the only remnant of the district railway era. The terrain becomes flat in Lindern, where there is a connection with the branch line to the city of Heinsberg. The Lindern–Brachelen–Baal section of the line is on a high embankment across the low plain of the Rur river, which is crossed by a concrete bridge.
The next junction is at Baal, which between 1911 and 1980 was a “tower station” (Turmbahnhof), that is a two-level station, where the now largely closed Jülich–Dalheim line crossed on the lower level, while the platforms of the Aachen–Mönchengladbach line were on the upper level. After Baal station the line crosses the largely rural country known as the Erkelenzer Börde (Westphalian for "fertile lowlands").
In the former Rheydt freight yard, the now closed Krefeld–Rheydt line and the current Moenchengladbach freight bypass branch off. The latter allows freight trains to avoid the busy section between Rheydt Hauptbahnhof and Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof and run to Viersen-Helenabrunn station on the Mönchengladbach–Duisburg line. There is also a parking area for trains running to the Siemens test and validation centre at Wegberg-Wildenrath.
Between the freight yard and Rheydt Hauptbahnhof, the Iron Rhine from Wegberg runs as a single track, parallel with the Aachen–Mönchengladbach line. The lines from Cologne and Wegberg end in Rheydt Hauptbahnhof.
The combination of these lines in Rheydt leads to dense traffic of the last section of the line to Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof. From there lines run to Duisburg and to Düsseldorf.
Aachen–Mönchengladbach railway