NS and the High Speed Alliance (HSA) lease 18 class 186 locomotives from Alpha Trains for use with ICRm coaches on IC-Direct (formerly Fyra) services from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and Breda. The locomotives were brought in to replace the fleet of AnsaldoBreda V250 emus, which was withdrawn last year.

The issue only concerned locomotives used on the HSL South high-speed line and did not affect Traxx units in use on the conventional network, which is equipped with 1.5kV dc electrification.

The withdrawal of the class 186s led to the temporary suspension of IC-Direct services on HSL South, although services were restored on the afternoon of April 9, when enough locomotives were available to run the trains. 

Bombardier carried out inspections of the pantographs at Watergraafsmeer depot near Amsterdam, where it maintains the fleet on behalf of NS.

NS has ordered 19 class 186 locomotives from Bombardier, which will supplement the fleet of leased units when the high-speed concession is merged into the core network in 2015.