what is changed/added?
From 2005 to 2008, ES64U2 038-052 have been retrofitted to extend their service domain towards Eastern Europe. These machines are officially nicknamed ‘Bosporus Sprinter’. They are retrofitted with the Hungarian EVM 120 signalling system, European train control system (ETCS) level 1, a third pantograph with 1600 mm wide contacts, software updates, multi language instruction markings outside, and new service numbers going up from ES64U2 060, so resulting in a new sub serie. With the mentioned modifications it is theoretically possible to operate the Bosporus Sprinter on 14 different networks systems in 11 different countries.

homologations
With the 2 standard pantographs with 1950 mm contacts the machines can run on the networks of the DB/Germany, ÖBB/Austria, MAV/Hungary, GySEV/Hungary, HZ/Croatia, CFR/Romania, ZS/Serbia and Montenegro, ZFBH/Bosnia-Hercegovina, MZ/Macedonia and OSE/Greece. The additional pantograph with 1600 mm wide contacts is required at a part of the CFR/Rumania network and for the BDZ/Bulgaria and TCDD/Turkey networks.

Actual homologation for all these networks of course requires more than just adding equipment. Trials have to be completed to measure the effect of modern three-phase electrics and their signalling systems on the intrastructure of every network. The Bosporus Sprinter is now in service in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Bulgaria. After retrofitting homologation for Germany, Austria and Hungary had to be done all over again. Per 02.2006 the Bosporus Sprinter has its permit for Germany, for Austra (06.2006) and Hungary (10.2006) it took a while longer. For Bulgaria no dates are known.

Budapest
Retrofitting was done in the MAV workshops in Budapest-Ferencvaros, Hungary. The ES64U2s were called in one by one, starting with the 048 and 052 in October 2005. It took four months to complete all modifications on these two prototypes and start homologation processes. After their first dynamic trials they were finally renumbered as ES64U2 060 and 064 and send back to Germany. An overview of machines that had a Bosporus make-over:

Since August 2008, the black ES 64 U2-067 carries the name BosporusSprinter on both sides. MRCE-Dispolok has made this name a registered trademark.

Close-up of what was changed on the machines, pantographs, software, UIC grid and EVM magnet for example.