The railway was opened by the Koninklijke Nederlandsche Locaalspoorweg-Maatschappij (KNLS) on 1 September 1888, with construction starting in 1887.

When the line opened it offered a direct link to Germany via the Almelo-Salzbergen railway.

The line continues travelling through the countryside and a few towns.

On approaching Almelo the line from Mariënberg also joins.

The Deventer–Almelo railway is used by the following passenger services: A wide variety of trains can be found regularly on the Almelo-Salzbergen railway: There are also large numbers of freight trains operating along the line.