Passenger trains on the Bad Bentheim - Nordhorn - Neuenhaus line were replaced by BE-operated buses in 1974, although the railway still runs freight trains on the 30km route.

The €17m project to restore passenger services is being funded by the Lower Saxony state government and local authorities, and involves upgrading the line for 80km/h operation.

The operating contract runs for three years from December 2018 and covers the operation of around 326,000 train-km per year.