Until the 1930s there was only an isolated railway network on the island of Rügen.
This comprised two standard gauge tracks, the line from Altefähr to Sassnitz and the line that branched off in Bergen to Lauterbach.
The completion of the Rügen Causeway in 1936 meant that, from then on, the island of Rügen could be directly accessed by train.
By contrast, the onward journey to Binz, the largest seaside resort on Rügen, and to the other resorts in the southeast of the island, was complicated by having to change in Bergen auf Rügen and Putbus to the narrow gauge line of the Rügen Light Railway.
In addition, the resort for the Strength through Joy (KDF) organization was built in the second half of the 1930s north of Binz, where 20,000 people were to be accommodated.
To connect that and to improve services to Binz, a line was built from Lietzow station to Binz and inaugurated on 15 May 1939.
By 1938 the station building in Binz was finished.
There were plans for an extension of the route along the coast to Thiessow, as well as the replacement of the narrow gauge railway from Putbus with a standard gauge track.
These did not come to fruition due to the outbreak of World War II.
The KDF complex was never completed; holiday traffic was not part of the war effort.
In 1940, only two pairs of trains ran per day.
After the war, the track was initially dismantled as war reparations to the Soviets.
But by 1952 it was back in service.
A new halt was built in Prora East.

Binz benefited as Rügen's role as a tourist destination grew.
This also increased the importance of the line again.
Prora was a military out-of-bounds area in GDR times and large barracks were set up using the KdF blocks.
Accordingly, the railway line became important for military traffic.
Several express trains (D-Züge) bringing conscripts stopped at Prora.
Depending on the summer timetable, up to six pairs of express trains ran.
They connected Binz, to places such as Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, and, in the late 1980s, even Bratislava.
Local passenger services were also relatively frequent; for example, in 1988 a total of twelve pairs of trains operated.

Despite its importance, thanks to its high traffic density, the line remained, operationally, just a branch line.
Together with the Sassnitz and Stralsund railway, and the connexion to the Mukran Ferry Port, the line was electrified.
Electrical services began on 27 May 1989.

In 1991, the route was connected to the Deutsche Bahn's Intercity network using IC train "Rügen".
Long-distance services were restructured several times, the basic services on the line changed little, however.
The number of commuter trains was reduced somewhat in the early 1990s.
Several early and late connexions, among other things, were dropped on the closure of the Army barracks at Prora.
In the late 1990s, capacity was gradually increased during the day by moving to an hourly timetable.
Until the 1930s there was only an isolated railway network on the island of Rügen. This comprised two standard gauge tracks, the line from Altefähr to Sassnitz and the line that branched off in Bergen to Lauterbach. The completion of the Rügen Causeway in 1936 meant that, from then on, the island of Rügen could be directly accessed by train. By contrast, the onward journey to Binz, the largest seaside resort on Rügen, and to the other resorts in the southeast of the island, was complicated by having to change in Bergen auf Rügen and Putbus to the narrow gauge line of the Rügen Light Railway. In addition, the resort for the Strength through Joy (KDF) organization was built in the second half of the 1930s north of Binz, where 20,000 people were to be accommodated. To connect that and to improve services to Binz, a line was built from Lietzow station to Binz and inaugurated on 15 May 1939. By 1938 the station building in Binz was finished. There were plans for an extension of the route along the coast to Thiessow, as well as the replacement of the narrow gauge railway from Putbus with a standard gauge track. These did not come to fruition due to the outbreak of World War II. The KDF complex was never completed; holiday traffic was not part of the war effort. In 1940, only two pairs of trains ran per day. After the war, the track was initially dismantled as war reparations to the Soviets. But by 1952 it was back in service. A new halt was built in Prora East.
Binz benefited as Rügen's role as a tourist destination grew. This also increased the importance of the line again. Prora was a military out-of-bounds area in GDR times and large barracks were set up using the KdF blocks. Accordingly, the railway line became important for military traffic. Several express trains (D-Züge) bringing conscripts stopped at Prora. Depending on the summer timetable, up to six pairs of express trains ran. They connected Binz, to places such as Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Erfurt, and, in the late 1980s, even Bratislava. Local passenger services were also relatively frequent; for example, in 1988 a total of twelve pairs of trains operated.
Despite its importance, thanks to its high traffic density, the line remained, operationally, just a branch line. Together with the Sassnitz and Stralsund railway, and the connexion to the Mukran Ferry Port, the line was electrified. Electrical services began on 27 May 1989.
In 1991, the route was connected to the Deutsche Bahn's Intercity network using IC train "Rügen". Long-distance services were restructured several times, the basic services on the line changed little, however. The number of commuter trains was reduced somewhat in the early 1990s. Several early and late connexions, among other things, were dropped on the closure of the Army barracks at Prora. In the late 1990s, capacity was gradually increased during the day by moving to an hourly timetable.
Lietzow–Binz railway