When it became insolvent in 1874, the Royal Westphalian Railway Company (Königlich-Westfälische Eisenbahn, KWE) took it over and continued its construction.

Finally the line from Borken of the Westfälische Landes-Eisenbahn (Westphalian Land Railway, WLE) was opened to Burgsteinfurt on 1 October 1902.

Rheine station was completely destroyed in an air raid on 5 October 1944 and bridges were blown up in Oberhausen and Dorsten.

The line between Lutum and St. Arnold was officially closed on 1 January 1996, so that the station is no longer a railway junction.

DB Regio NRW won the contract for operating the service for a further 15 years from December 2011.