Following tests with two modified class 1063s, one equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell power pack and another with supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries, ÖBB decided to continue with the battery option for last mile operations on sections of line without catenary.

At first a prototype of each class will be equipped and tested followed by the series rebuilding of all 10 class 1064s and 25 class 1063s. These will be renumbered class 1263 and 1264 respectively.

All of these locomotives together with the remaining 22 class 1063s will also be retrofitted with ETCS Level 2.

The four-axle class 1063s were built by BBC, SGP and Elin in 1982-1991. The six-axle class 1064s were built in 1984-1990.