The class 311000 was developed alongside the classes 341000 and 351000 and was intended to replace the older class 1000 trains that originated from the 1970s. They each consist of ten cars and, unlike their predecessors, had regenerative brakes. In addition, thanks to a higher motor output, only five powered cars were needed. A total of 1,125 individual cars were built in four generations between 1996 and 2021. The shape of the head ends differs significantly depending on the generation. Also, the first two generations have GTO thyristors while the last two have IGBT thyristors. 