Electric locomotive 181 211-4 of DB in blue/beige livery, "Lorraine", Era IV

The Class 181.2 in service
The main area of operation for the 3,300 kW electric locomotives was initially in cross-border traffic on the routes Frankfurt a. M. – Metz and Strasbourg – Stuttgart, where they transported express, fast, and freight trains. They were also seen in IC and EC services in Luxembourg, Basel, Leipzig, and other German cities.

It was not until 2018 that the era of this class ended at Deutsche Bahn AG. However, some locomotives have since returned to the tracks through other railway companies, enriching the variety of vehicles in modern railways.