E 186 101-110 were built for ATC in 2006-2007, configurated for Transalp-services; equipped with all necessary safety and signalling systems making it possible to make (theoretically) a non-stop trip from the harbour of Rotterdam, over the Dutch BetuweRoute, through Germany, across the Alps into Italy. This so called north-south corridor is one of the most important routes for freight transport by rail in Europe. The specific systems on board were ETCS (the new European train control standard and required for the BetuweRoute), ATB (Netherlands), Indusi (Germany and Austria), Integra (Switzerland), and SCMT (Italy).

E 186 101 and 102 were built in 2006 to start homologation trials with. The remaining eight machines had their maiden run at the end of 2007 and were then stored. In April and May 2008, E 186 108 visited the Netherlands twice, and made trial runs over the Hoekse Lijn. In May 2008 E 186 109 was used in Austria for ETCS trials. Around the same time E 186 101 was in Italy for completing trials with the new Italian signalling system SCMT. Finally, all 10 machines ended up in and around Bellinzona (CH) in 2009, none of them ever used for a single revenue service as far as we know...

Then, in May 2009, the history of this batch took a strange turn. Appearantly ATC, Bombardier and the new leasing Railpool company had closed a deal in the mean time. That month, E 186 103 got a full repaint in Railpool colours and was presented as such on the Transport&Logistik Messe in Munich. Railpool is since then the owner of this batch, of which all units were repainted and delivered during the summer of 2009.

A very remarkable E 186 sub serie is a batch of 15 locomotives with Hispeed configuration, equipped to haul passenger trains up to speeds of 160 kph. Remarkable because the E 186 series is officially developed for long-haul freight services only, and therefore not very quickly associated with very high speeds… About the history of the E 186 Hispeed;

Freight locomotives for Hispeed services? How come?
From 2000 to 2007, a brand new high speed line has been built, connecting Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Antwerp, Belgium. Passenger trains are now able to connect both cities with top speeds up to 350 kph. The HSL-Zuid, the official name of the line, is part of the north-south route from Amsterdam to Paris.
For the 350 kph non-stop services, already existing Thalys-TGV train sets will be retrofitted. Next to these intercity services, 250 kph fast shuttle trains will run on the HSL-Zuid.
NS Hispeed, the operator that will exploit passenger services on the HSL-Zuid has therefore ordered new 19 train sets. The Italian manufacturer of rolling stock Ansaldo-Breda was awarded with the order in 2004. Starting delivery was scheduled for 2006, the complete HSL-Zuid should be ready by then and regular services than could start in April 2007.
This planning soon proved to be too optimistic. The construction of the infrastructure suffered from many delays due to constructional failures, accidents or unforeseen environmental issues. It took until the Summer of 2007 to complete all sections.
Also the choice, made by the Dutch government, to only install the latest European train controlling system ERTMS on the HSL-Zuid caused many problems. It took a considerable longer period to test the system and to define the final specifications to be applied on the rolling stock. First V250 and V350 train sets equipped with the right ERTMS versions are not expected to be available before 2008. Then the very first dynamic trials of the V250 train sets on the HSL-Zuid than still have to begin.
Also the safety risks of service on the HSL-Zuid are still considered too big, as concluded in a investigation report published by the Dutch ministry of transport. At this moment there are no indications of when first commercial services will start on the HSL-Zuid will actually start.

Nevertheless, NS Hispeed and the Dutch/Belgian government have singed an exploitation contract, and the government made very clear that it would keep NS Hispeed to its promises, to start with shuttle services in April 2007. Also on very short notice, the operator had to find a acceptable alternative for the V250 train sets.

Finally Angel Trains was requested to provide locomotive power for these temporary shuttle trains, that then would be composed out of 160 kph fast multi-system electrics, with ERTMS and refurbished Dutch ICRm intercity-coaches. The lease company proudly accepted the award and adjusted its initial order for Traxx 2E F140 MS locomotives in January 2006, raising the number on order from 26 to 35. 15 machines of this batch then would be available for ‘high speed’ services on the HSL-Zuid by April 2007, until 2009. 12 of them would be leased to NS Hispeed, and three would be running the Belgian railways. For manufacturer Bombardier this order change resulted in a new challenge: explore the possibilities too use the MS locomotives up to speeds of 160 kph in commercial service. As they were originally designed for freight traffic, the machines have a propulsion system with nose suspended motors, only approved for Vmax = 140 kph. This latter technical issue could be solved by Bombardier, as was proven in 2007. The Hispeed E186s got a full permission for 160 kph for services at the HSL-Zuid (and also in Germany additionally).

roll-out
In September 2006 the very first E186 made its first public appearance, at the international rail way fair Innotrans in Berlin. It was the designated E 186 111, fully configured as Hispeed locomotive. After the event the machine returned to Kassel for the finishing touch, to enter its future service domain for the very first time on December 4th 2006, when it came to the Netherlands for its first trials. What followed was an endless period of trials. First with the three ‘prototype’ locomotives, E 186 111, 112 and 113, built in advance to secure homologation, later on also E 186 114-118 were spotted on Dutch and Belgian territory many times.
In March 2007 the refurbishment of the first ICRm coaches started, but it was already very clear that by April, no final approval of these temporary shuttle trains would be available. As already told, the infrastructure was not even finished by then. As the months went by all 15 machines, E 186 111-125, were completed, but none of them were used for any regular service.

In the Autumn of 2007, E 186 123-125 went to Antwerp as they would be rented by the Belgian railways to secure shuttle services from Brecht to Antwerp. In 2008 they got Blegian service numbers (2801-2803) and started their commercial career with hauling freight trains. Trials runs with Belgian passenger coaches started in June 2008.

At the end of 2007, finally, the very first two machines were officially delivered (113 and 114) to NS Hispeed. E 186 114 was the first to change its appearance and came back from a metamorphosis in a red Hispeed livery with white fronts. Logos were not applied. Between January and June 2008 also E 186 112, 115, 116 and 118-121 were handed over to NS Hispeed and are since then most of the time parked at their new home base, Amsterdam Watergraafsmeer. E 186 113, 115 and 116 got a red livery in February 2008 too. On 17.09.2008 finally the last three machines included in this contract (E186 111, 117, 122) were transported to Amsterdam.

E 186 114 was the first Angel Trains machine to change colour: here present in its future Hispeed basic livery.

alternative purposes
As the lease-contract for these Hispeed machines started in the summer of 2007, so they cost money. And as the HSL-Zuid is considered being not safe enough and the locomotives are still not approved for services in Belgium, NS Hispeed started a search for alternative purposes.
Since September 2007 therefore one speculated on using E 186 111-122 for the conventional Benelux-shuttles, that also run from Amsterdam to Antwerp, and originally would have been replaced by the new V250 trains. For these trains the Traxx machines would then replace the Belgian 11 series locomotives, that suffer from many malfunctions lately, and have become very unreliable.

This plan did not became reality until 11.08.2008. That day it really happened! All administrative and technical difficulties were finally solved and E186 119 had the honour to be the first Traxx locomotive actually hauling a commercial Benelux train from Amsterdam to Brussels. That day Hispeed started to use Traxx machines for two services in total, for which E 186 119-121 were available at that time. Two machines are being parked at both end statiions, while the third one is hauling the train. As per 08.09.2008, six additonal services were taken-over by Traxx machines. E 186 117 and 118 being the next ones to be equipped for these services.

And the HSL-Zuid? It was really quiet overthere until 08.09.2008. NS Hispeed and Prorail than started trials on the new the high speed line between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, continued until 24.10.2008. Its the next phase of the so called 'Intergraal Proef Bedrijf' during which a regular one-hour service will simulated, according to the time table that one would like to introduce in December 2008. Two locomotives type E 186 with ETCS level 1 and two rakes of NS Hispeed Prio-coahes were be available for these tests.

When the Hispeed machines will retrun to Angel Trains Cargo, it is likely to presume that they will be retrofitted with the Transalp configuration.

The third configuration included in the 1st order is a batch of 10 machines for the main corridors from Austria and Germany into Poland and vice versa. Rail freight transport is growing very fast Poland, but at the same time it is very difficult to enter the Polish market for foreign operators. Homologation vehicles that offer a possibility for foreign operators to enter Poland is therefore very difficult and time consuming. It was therefore remarkable that already in October 2007, only one year after the first East-West configured machine set foot on Polish ground; the official homologation of the E 186 series for Poland could be announced.

Maybe it makes more sense when you know that the first 6 machines were delivered to the PKP, the national operator from Poland, which announced its deal with Angel Trains Cargo officially in 2007. E186 126, 127, 128, 131 and 132 and 134 are now part of the PKP fleet for a period of 3 years, starting from December 2007. They got PKP designation EU43 001-006 and are used for border crossing services between Poland and Seddin in Germany. 186 126 even got a special PKP promotional livery. The remaining 4 machines are available to other operators. The German open access operator OHE was to first to lease two of them.

The reason why Bombardier had to deliver five extra units to Angel Trains Cargo so fast is that B Cargo was planning on services from Belgium to France, starting in December 2009. By then the 186 346-350 were delivered and put into service as B Cargo 2901-2905.