MRCE's 185 552 electric locomotive, leased from Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, has the following features:
- Available in a version fitted with "Nightjet "stickers
- Pantographs featuring an innovative attachment
- Separately pluggable windscreen wipers
- Bodyguards integrated into the chassis
- Featuring intricate printing
- Front/rear lights switchable via a DIP switch
Locomotives 185 551 to 557, together with DB-185 models, were the first of the TRAXX range to be homologated in France. They were delivered to MRCE in 2005/06, sporting a black livery. In December 2022, the Nightjet Paris - Cologne - Vienna service was inaugurated. This night service is operated jointly by the SNCF and the Österreichische Bundesbahnen. Specially adapted locomotives are used to pull these trains.