Being built in 1995, the pre-series BB 36001 was outshopped at GEC Alsthom's Belfort factory in January 1996. From then, the approval process started. Serie delivery was initiated in 1997. In 1998, a provisional limited authorization was granted for France, while a second batch of thirty locomotives was ordered, to boost freight traffic with Italy.

Adjustments for services in Italy; the BB 36200 and BB 36300 subseries
From 2003 to 2007, all the locomotives from the second batch were modified, to be better fitted for heavy freight haulage through the Alps. Multiple unit control and automatic fire detection/extinction was installed. In a first step, twelve locomotives were modified and renumbered as BB 36200. Eight other locomotives received the same modifications, plus SAFI (emergency brake override), for use with the AFA (Rolling motorway) from Aiton [F] to Orbassano [I]. They were renumbered as BB 36300. Step by step, all BB 36200s were then converted to the BB 36300 version. Finally, in 2006 and 2007, also the 36051 to 36060 were converted into BB 36300s, so all second batch units are the same since then. Also, the "greens" are all specialized for the international France-Italy connection. BB 36300s can run in multiple, but that is only allowed in Italy and France under 1,5 kV DC.