In the eighties, when multiple countries developed multi-purpose locomotives with three-phase traction motors, also the Italian FS approached Ansaldo to develop such a locomotive. The first prototype, numbered E.402.000, was built in 1985. Even though it operated under only 3,000 V DC, it developed an output of 6,000 kW (8,050 hp) with only four axles. Now there was a single locomotive that could haul intercity trains at 220 km/h (137 mph), but had sufficient pulling power for heavy freight trains.

Due to the good performances of the prototype, four pre-production locomotives were built in 1988. Series production of the E.402A started in 1994 and by 1996, 40 had been completed. These had a more streamlined design and also the prototypes and pre-production locomotives were rebuilt. Around the turn of the millenium the FS was divided and all E.402A came to the intercity division. So they nearly never hauled freight trains as planned, but almost always intercity trains.

In their original form, these locomotives were used until 2019. After this, all were rebuilt into the E.401 by modernizing the electric part and removing one cab for use on push-pull trains, similar to the E.464. The direct successor of the E.402A is the E.402B that can also operate under 25 kV AC.

In view of the increased international traffic in the 1990s, the FS also ordered a new multi-purpose locomotive with three-phase technology in 1993, which should be able to be used with various power systems in neighboring countries. These were the Italian 3,000 volt direct current system, the southern French 1,500 volt direct current system and the 15,000 volt alternating current system in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The locomotives were developed and manufactured by ABB's Italian subsidiary, which became part of Adtranz in 1996. In terms of electronics and propulsion technology, they have some things in common with the Adtranz locomotives built in Germany, which later became the Bombardier TRAXX. As with its German sisters, the four axles were driven by two power converters, but here one axle of both bogies was connected together. The power is provided by double radial motors. There is one pantograph each for direct and alternating current. The power systems with 15,000, 3,000 and 1,500 volts have an hourly output of 5,600, 5,400 and 2,700 kW respectively.

The FS got 20 examples, which are mainly used on the Brenner between Verona and Innsbruck and are the reason why the E.412 is known as the “Brenner locomotive”. The planned operation on the rest of the Austrian network and as far as Germany had to wait until 2006, since there was initially no approval for Austria. The deployment in France was discarded as this would have required further adjustments. Since the locomotives are now assigned to Trenitalia Cargo, they can only be found in front of freight trains. These are mainly the rolling road and container trains.

Eight more pieces were originally to be delivered to Poland and operated as EU43, which ultimately failed due to the financial situation of PKP. They were eventually taken over by the Italian Rail Traction Company and today they are mainly used on the Benner.

The E.421 was a battery operated shunter built in 1921 and used at Milan Central Station. The locomotive was built by Carminati & Toselli with electrical equipment by Tecnomasio Italiano Brown Boveri. It stood on two bogies, each with two traction motors, and had a cab in the middle. The batteries came from the Società Generale Italiana Accumulatori, were housed in two long hoods and weighed a total of 30 tonnes. They supplied the traction motors with a voltage of 450 volts.

With this equipment, the E.421 reached a top speed of 25 km/h, which made it virtually impossible to use it outside the station. Despite a continuous output of just 140 kW, the locomotive had to be charged after about an hour of shunting, which severely restricted the possible uses. For these reasons and because of the relatively complex maintenance, there was only one locomotive built. This was retired after only two years and there were initially plans to convert it for the 650 volt DC network with conductor rails of the Varese railway. After these plans were not implemented, the locomotive was scrapped in 1935 and it remained the only battery locomotive of the Italian State Railways.

The E.431 was a three-phase electric express locomotive for the Northern Italian network that was developed after it became evident that the E.330 had insufficient adhesive weight. With an additional driving axle, it had the wheel arrangement 1-D-1, but still the same output of 1,900 kW. Two low-slung driving motors worked on a triangular rod and through coupling rods on all four driving axles. Each carrying axle formed a Zara bogie together with the adjacent driving axle. Anyway, this did not lead to good curve running characteristics due to the long driving wheel base.

Through pole switching and series-parallel control, a total of four continuous speeds could be realized. These were 37.5, 50, 75 and 100 km/h and while accelerating between the speed steps, excessive power had to be dissipated through resistors. These resistors were not cooled by a closed water circuit, but by soda solution that evaporated through a chimney into the environment and had to be refilled periodically. In the beginning, lighting was with gas lamps and electric lamps have only been added later.

The E.431 was mostly used on flat lines since it showed insufficient pulling power around 50 km/h. Since they were able to run in multiple with several types of electric locomotives, they were used for express trains with up to 20 cars, being assisted by another E.431 or any other type of compatible locomotives. They were used until the end of three-phase operation in Italy in 1976 and two were preserved.

The E.432 was an electric express locomotive for the Northern Italian three-phase network. It was ordered in 1926 as an improved successor of the E.431, which did not live up to expectations. In 1928, Breda built 40 locomotives of this class. Soon these could be seen in nearly all corners of the three-phase network.

They still had four driving axles with one carrying axle on each end, connected to the adjacent driving axle via a Zara bogie. With a continuous output of 2,200 kW, they had 300 kW more power than the E.431 and were the most powerful locomotives on the three-phase network. A new feature on this network were the diamond-shaped pantographs on the E.432. Through serial-parallel switching and pole switching, the locomotives had four sustained speeds of 37.5, 50, 75 and 100 km/h. The resistors were not cooled by a closed water circuit, but by soda solution that evaporated through a chimney into the environment.

After World War II, their operations were limited to a smaller number of depots. Nevertheless, they were only withdrawn in 1976 when three-phase operations in Italy ceased. Today, two are preserved in museums. E.432.001 can be found at Pietrarsa, while E.432.031 is at Savigliano.

As a light locomotive for passenger trains, ABB developed the E.464, which was partly based on the technology of the E.412 in a simplified form. Since they are only used to pull push-pull trains, the most striking feature of the locomotives is the lack of a second, fully equipped driver's cab. Instead, there is a gangway to the train and next to it an auxiliary driver's cab for shunting.

As with the E.412, it is powered by double star Dahlander motors. Together they achieve an hourly output of 3,000 kW, which drops to 2,350 kW when used under 1,500 volts. The locomotives have a regenerative brake that can feed electricity back into the grid. However, since the DC network of the FS is not designed to absorb power, regenerative braking can only be used when other locomotives are calling for power on the same section. The brake computer of the E.464 automatically checks this via the contact wire voltage and then decides whether braking energy can be fed back or must be dissipaded via braking resistors.

After the merger of ABB and the rail vehicle division of AEG, which belonged to Daimler Benz, production took place under the name of Adtranz and later Bombardier. Bombardier assigned the locomotives to the TRAXX family despite the lack of a technical relationship in the narrower sense and gave them the model designation P160 DCP.

After the first order for 50 vehicles, others followed until 2015, bringing the total number at FS or Trenitalia to 717, making the E.464 the most numerous class. They are mainly used in regional traffic in train compositions with control cars. Since 2019, some examples have also been used on long-distance trains in Sicily, with one locomotive at each end. In addition to FS, Ferrovie Emilia Romagna operates ten engines and Trasporto Ferroviario Toscano one.