In 1996, the bidding consortium of Dortmunder Stadtwerke and Märkischer Verkehrsgesellschaft won this tender,[2] they then founded the DME on 11 September 1997.

After the settlement of the transport contracts and the resolution of disputes regarding vehicle financing and the accidents, the company ceased to exist on 8 September 2011.

[6] The DME operated the Regionalbahn route RB 52 with the brand name Volmetalbahn, running between Dortmund Hbf and Lüdenscheid stations.

[8] After the DME ended its services, the four vehicles were bought by the rolling stock leasing company Alpha Trains.

They were then leased to Eurobahn and NordWestBahn,[7][9][10] today, all four DMUs are in service as 643 124, 121, 122 and 123 for Transdev Regio Ost (Mitteldeutsche Regiobahn).