It is a major axis for long distance passenger and freight trains between the Ruhr and the north and east of Germany.

It is the part of the trunk line built by the Cologne-Minden Railway Company (German, old spelling: Cöln-Mindener Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, CME) from Köln Deutz to Minden.

On 15 October 1847 the last section was opened to Minden, thus completing the entire 263 kilometre long, single track railway.

[2] The railway line between Dortmund and Hamm has been continually modernized since its opening reflecting its growing importance as an east-west link.

Regional-Express trains run at hourly intervals on four lines: RE 1: NRW-Express (Hamm–Aachen, half starting or finishing in Paderborn), RE 3: Rhein-Emscher-Express (Hamm–Düsseldorf), and RE 6: Rhein-Weser-Express (Minden–Hamm–Düsseldorf) and RE 11: Rhein-Hellweg-Express (Hamm–Mönchengladbach).