► The line opened in stages: the 35.5km section from Münster to Neubeckum on 30.09.1903; the 28.8km section from Beckum to Lippstadt on 20.10.1898 and the 30.7km core section from Warstein to Lippstadt on 01.11.1883 (from 1896 the Westfälische - Landeseisenbahn Gesellschaft). On 16.12.1896 the line from Neubeckum via Ennigerloh to Warendorf opened.  The missing link in all this, the 6.02km line from Neubeckum to Beckum, was taken over by the WLE  in 1958, having been built by the German state railway in 1872. Rebuilding after the war took place quickly. In the years before currency reform, passenger traffic was at a high – in 1947 8.3 million passengers were carried, predominantly ‘squirrels’ who came from the Rohr for food supplies. Freight on the WLE reached a peak of 2.3 million tonnes. Significant dates followed to make passenger transport on the WLE more attractive: from 1949  WLE trains ran into Münster Hbf; in 1953 modern diesel railcars were acquired and also a fast service ran from Warstein via Lippstadt to Münster Diesel locos followed in 1955 / 57 marking the end of steam. Over the last 20 years freight traffic on the WLE has concentrated on limestone and cement as well as serving factories around Beckum and Lippstadt. Rolling stock was reduced accordingly to these requirements and more powerful locos acquired. Redundant track was cleared and equipment dismantled or sold. Since the mid-1990s the WLE has been a thoroughly rationalised, modern and high-performing transport undertaking, with notable appearance and rolling-stock fleet.