The Klöcknerbahnweg in Dortmund is part of a former railway line whose history is closely linked to the region's industrial development. Originally this route was part of the railway network used to transport goods between the industrial sites in Dortmund and the port.
In the 1950s, the route in the Westfalenhütte area was moved one kilometer to the east in order to enable a direct connection to the factory premises. This change led to a significant increase in transport volume, especially after the merger of the Dortmund steel industry locations. Until 1996, orders from the Krupp-Hoesch Group accounted for over 90% of the transport performance of Dortmunder Eisenbahn GmbH, which was founded in 1973.
At the beginning of 2002, operations on the section between Westfalenhütte and Hörde were stopped. After the tracks were dismantled in the same year and de-dedicated in 2008, part of the route was sold to the Ruhr regional association. Today the Klöcknerbahnweg/Max-von-der-Grün-Weg is used as a cycle path and represents an important connection in the region, including between the Hörde center and the Westfalenhütte.
This development shows the transformation from an industrially used railway line to a modern cycle path, which is now used for leisure activities and as a transport route and thus contributes to urban mobility and leisure activities.