World premiere:
a restaurant car on the tramway The Rheinbahn’s innovative strength and booming business in the 1920’s are often associated with the company’s director at that time, Max Schwab, who was responsible for establishing its outstanding reputation and setting it apart from the many other Duesseldorf-based companies.
In 1924, when the Rheinbahn placed a necessary order for trams to use on its long-distance Krefeld line, he suggested that a restaurant car should also be ordered on a trial basis. The fact that the Rheinbahn was the only tram company to operate restaurant cars on scheduled services until the 1990’s demonstrates how unconventional this concept was.
The Rheinbahn was not sure whether this new idea would meet with the acceptance of the general public. As a precaution, the restaurant car’s kitchen was designed so that it could easily be removed again. However, the passengers appreciated the service. The Rheinbahn kept the restaurant car and four more followed. The catering was initially realised by the "Breidenbacher Hof" hotel and later the employees of the hotel provided the service independently.
Until 1943, the restaurant car was operated on the Krefeld line. After the war, there were a number of interruptions. In 1949, the Rheinbahn introduced a restaurant car on Line D to Duisburg. In 1963, the Krefeld line restaurant car was taken out of service because it was not operating at a profit, though the service was continued on the Duisburg line.
Since 1989, passengers on the U70/U76 lines between Krefeld and Duesseldorf have been able to enjoy a restaurant car service again. Four trams with bistro cars exist for this purpose. Four further trams with bistro cars are used by the Duisburg Transport Association on Line U79 between Duisburg and Duesseldorf.