The diverse applicability of all three subtypes ensured that the V 100 was widely distributed throughout Germany and kept many less frequented secondary railways alive. Approximately a third of all V 100 locomotives were equipped with a push-pull train control and multitraction control ex works in order to do away with the time-intensive shunting in train stations where it was necessary to turn the train around. The first large quantities of the BR 211 were only withdrawn from service at the end of the 1980s. A reasonably large amount were sold on to other railway companies abroad. Thanks to their reliability and robustness in particular, there are still a few locomotives in operation today after approximately 50 years of operation and are largely being used by private railway companies in Germany.