Linke Rheinstrecke
In 1981 Lufthansa wanted to replace the very expensive Düsseldorf - Frankfurt shorthaul flights by rail transport. Deutsche Bundesbahn agreed and eliminated their problem, the Class 403 not bringing revenues, at once. Trials on the proposed route, the West Rhine Railway, were carried out on 13 and 16 February 1981. The trains were re-fitted to Lufthansa standards and got a grey-yellow Lufthansa livery. Instead of a kitchen, airplane like on-board galleys were installed. The seats were replaced by DC-10 business class seats. On 28 March 1982 the ET 403 were recommissioned as the Lufthansa Airport Express, a shuttle service connecting the airports of Düsseldorf and Frankfurt along the picturesque West Rhine Railway via Bonn Hauptbahnhof. Usage ended in 1993 due to increasing corrosion of the aluminium sheets. All trains were finally sold by the Deutsche Bahn in 2001 and have fallen into disrepair. The technical concept of separately driven cars was resumed in the design of the ICE 3, also classified as "Class 403".