From Glauchau to Sermuth the line follows the river Zwickauer Mulde, from there to Wurzen the joint Mulde river.

The Glauchau–Wurzen line branches off the Dresden–Werdau railway at the eastern end of Glauchau station.
Near Remse station, it runs parallel to today's Bundesstraße 175, but on the other side of the river.
Between Wolkenburg and Thierbach-Zinnberg stations it changes from the right to the left bank of Zwickauer Mulde.
Between Thierbach-Zinnberg and Penig it crosses over state road S57 on a bridge, just metres before the latter crosses the river on another bridge.
A third bridge leads the motorway A 72, opened in 2011, across river, road, and railway.

In Penig station the line from Narsdorf which had been opened in 1872 joined from the north.
After Rochsburg station the railway passes a tunnel and then a bridge across the river, and after Lunzenau station it passes under the Göhren Viaduct, which leads the Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz railway across the valley of Zwickauer Mulde.
About 500 m on, immediately after the bridge across the Chemnitz, the Wechselburg–Küchwald railway approached from the right and ran parallel to the Mulde valley line until Wechselburg station where the two lines joined.
Between Steudten halt and Rochlitz station, the line crosses to the left bank of the river on a lattice girder bridge near Rochlitz castle.

Rochlitz station was the junction with the Rochlitz–Penig railway and the Waldheim–Rochlitz railway.
North of Rochlitz the Mulde valley line crosses to the right bank of the river, passing Lastau station and crossing to the left bank again before reaching Colditz, running parallel to today's Bundesstraße 107.
Before reaching Großbothen station, the terminus of the southern section of the line since its interruption in 1945, it crosses over the Borsdorf–Coswig railway.
The tracks of the Glauchau–Wurzen railway are north of the Großbothen station building.

North of Großbothen the line passed Kloster Nimbschen halt and crossed on Rabenstein bridge on the right bank of the Mulde.
It followed the bends of the river, passing under motorway A 14 north of Golzern station, until Neichen which was the junction of the narrow gauge line from Mügeln.
There the railway left the immediate vicinity of the river and ran in a mostly straight line until Wurzen station where it joined the Leipzig–Dresden railway from the southeast at signal box 2.
From Glauchau to Sermuth the line follows the river Zwickauer Mulde, from there to Wurzen the joint Mulde river.
The Glauchau–Wurzen line branches off the Dresden–Werdau railway at the eastern end of Glauchau station. Near Remse station, it runs parallel to today's Bundesstraße 175, but on the other side of the river. Between Wolkenburg and Thierbach-Zinnberg stations it changes from the right to the left bank of Zwickauer Mulde. Between Thierbach-Zinnberg and Penig it crosses over state road S57 on a bridge, just metres before the latter crosses the river on another bridge. A third bridge leads the motorway A 72, opened in 2011, across river, road, and railway. 
In Penig station the line from Narsdorf which had been opened in 1872 joined from the north. After Rochsburg station the railway passes a tunnel and then a bridge across the river, and after Lunzenau station it passes under the Göhren Viaduct, which leads the Neukieritzsch–Chemnitz railway across the valley of Zwickauer Mulde. About 500 m on, immediately after the bridge across the Chemnitz, the Wechselburg–Küchwald railway approached from the right and ran parallel to the Mulde valley line until Wechselburg station where the two lines joined. Between Steudten halt and Rochlitz station, the line crosses to the left bank of the river on a lattice girder bridge near Rochlitz castle.
Rochlitz station was the junction with the Rochlitz–Penig railway and the Waldheim–Rochlitz railway. North of Rochlitz the Mulde valley line crosses to the right bank of the river, passing Lastau station and crossing to the left bank again before reaching Colditz, running parallel to today's Bundesstraße 107. Before reaching Großbothen station, the terminus of the southern section of the line since its interruption in 1945, it crosses over the Borsdorf–Coswig railway. The tracks of the Glauchau–Wurzen railway are north of the Großbothen station building. 
North of Großbothen the line passed Kloster Nimbschen halt and crossed on Rabenstein bridge on the right bank of the Mulde. It followed the bends of the river, passing under motorway A 14 north of Golzern station, until Neichen which was the junction of the narrow gauge line from Mügeln. There the railway left the immediate vicinity of the river and ran in a mostly straight line until Wurzen station where it joined the Leipzig–Dresden railway from the southeast at signal box 2.
Glauchau–Wurzen railway