New trains were introduced based on the German Stadtbahnwagen B light rail units and power was taken from an overhead line at 1500 V DC.

For the Rhine-Ruhr Stadtbahn, new standardised Stadtbahn trains named Stadtbahnwagen B were developed.

The DC-powered Stadtbahn vehicles operated by AVG on the line are similar in construction to Stadtbahnwagen B vehicles.

The design of the Metrocars was partly derived from that of the German Stadtbahnwagen B, although the Metrocars were built by the now-defunct Metro-Cammell in Birmingham (later part of Alstom).