The 160km/h class 186s will take over Intercity Direct (formerly Fyra) services from similar locomotives, which are leased from Alpha Trains.

The ETCS Level 2-equipped locomotives are due to be introduced on Amsterdam – Rotterdam services in December and they will also be used on Eindhoven – The Hague services from December 2015 operating with refurbished NS ICR coaches.. However, they will not be used on cross-border services to Antwerp and Brussels.

Bombardier is assembling the class 186s at its Kassel plant in Germany and the first locomotive is now undergoing tests in the Netherlands.