The privatization of the Bundesbahn also affected the Black Forest Railway. The rail transport reform program enabled private rail transport companies to gain access to the network of the DB AG, and with it access to the Black Forest Railway. Starting on 24 May 1998, trains of the Ortenau-S-Bahn provided service between Offenburg und Hausach. This service is now available hourly from Offenburg, via Hausach, then onto the Kinzig Valley Railway to Freudenstadt. Concurrently, trains of the Swiss company "Mittelthurgaubahn" travelled between Engen and Konstanz, which connected via Konstanz into Switzerland.