In the early 1990s, West German federal railway Deutsche Bundesbahn (DB) sought to replace its ageing electric locomotive fleet with a single type. In the previous decade, DB introduced its first universal locomotives with three-phase asynchronous induction motors and two bogies with two powered axles each, the DB Class 120, which had been successful. In 1991, DB requested bids for about 1000 more universal locomotives with an improved design and increased power, the planned DB Class 121. The railway industry began developing new locomotives, but in October 1992, DB cancelled the tender due to the high price of the offers and the changed situation. In 1994, Deutsche Bundesbahn merged with the former East German Deutsche Reichsbahn, creating Deutsche Bahn, bringing over 600 modern DR Class 243 locomotives into the joint locomotive fleet. In addition, the merger coincided with a railway reform, dividing the rolling stock of Deutsche Bahn between its regional passenger, long-distance passenger and freight business areas, making the universal locomotive plans obsolete. From late 1993, the business areas of Deutsche Bahn and their predecessors called new bids for electric locomotives tailored for their specific needs.