The service spectrum of the (since 1968 as class 110 designated) locomotives was shifted more and more to local/regional service by the 1990s. As part of this shift, during the third stage of the Bahn reform program the locomotives were assigned to the local service branch DB Regio, which practically meant the end of their service in the express area. In order to use the machines more efficiently in regional service, from 1997 many of the units were equipped with push-pull train controls, partly using components of class 140 and class 141 units that were retired.