Therefore, in May 1998 with the NRW-wide implementation of regional express lines, the NRW-Express (now RE 1) was supplemented by the Westfalen-Express (RE 6) from Bielefeld via Hamm, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg to Düsseldorf so that on the northern section there were two Regional-Expresses per hour.

In the course of the development of the Rhein-Ruhr-Express (RRX, an upgraded Regional-Express system) network, the Rhein-Hellweg-Express returned to its original route between Düsseldorf and Paderborn and was extended to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe at the timetable change on 11 December 2016.

At the other end, some services only run from Kassel to Hamm, so passengers are forced to change trains regularly to reach the Ruhr area or Düsseldorf.

Due to longer scheduled stays in Duisburg and Dortmund, the travel time of regional services between Paderborn and Düsseldorf has increased by up to ten minutes compared to the previous operation by RE 1.

[4] Due to work at Dortmund Hauptbahnhof as well as on the line between Soest and Hamm, all trains were diverted via Unna and Dortmund-Hörde from November 2022 until April 2023.

Initially, when the service operated between Hamm and Paderborn on weekdays at two hourly intervals, trains were composed of class 110 and 111 locomotives, usually hauling five Silberling carriages.

From 21 February 2011, in addition to the double-decker trains, class 425 electric multiple units were used on the Rhein-Hellweg Express,[5] these had previously been modernised for use on this service.

[7] The contract included provisions for services every two hours between Hamm and Paderborn; this section became part of the RE 1 at the timetable change in December 2010, committing operations on this line to run permanently with a sixth double-deck coach.