The planning for the construction of the route was initially carried out by the Aachen-Neuß-Düsseldorf Railway Company (German: Aachen-Neuß-Düsseldorfer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft), which on 21 August 1846 was granted a concession by the Prussian government for the construction of the Aachen–Neuss–Düsseldorf-Oberkassel line.
The company got into financial difficulties as construction started.
At the same time the Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company (Ruhrort–Crefeld−Kreis Gladbach Eisenbahngesellschaft) also became unfinancial.
At their own request both companies were taken over in 1850 as the Royal Division of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company (Königliche Direction der Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrorter Eisenbahn), although this was also a limited company.

The route was opened in the following sections:
The Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company was the operator of the line from 1854 until 31 December 1865.
On 1 January 1866 the company’s assets were taken by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME), which was mainly owned by the Prussian government.
The planning for the construction of the route was initially carried out by the Aachen-Neuß-Düsseldorf Railway Company (German: Aachen-Neuß-Düsseldorfer Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft), which on 21 August 1846 was granted a concession by the Prussian government for the construction of the Aachen–Neuss–Düsseldorf-Oberkassel line. The company got into financial difficulties as construction started. At the same time the Ruhrort-Crefeld District Gladbach Railway Company (Ruhrort–Crefeld−Kreis Gladbach Eisenbahngesellschaft) also became unfinancial. At their own request both companies were taken over in 1850 as the Royal Division of the Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company (Königliche Direction der Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrorter Eisenbahn), although this was also a limited company.
The route was opened in the following sections:
The Aachen-Düsseldorf-Ruhrort Railway Company was the operator of the line from 1854 until 31 December 1865. On 1 January 1866 the company’s assets were taken by the Bergisch-Märkische Railway Company (Bergisch-Märkische Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft, BME), which was mainly owned by the Prussian government.
Aachen–Mönchengladbach railway