112 double units (batches F74 to F79) were delivered to West Berlin until the end of 1981, replacing the remainder of the pre-war Class C. 145 additional units, featuring various improvements, were built between 1984 and 1994 and partly replaced trains from the former East Berlin network after the German reunification.

They are easily recognizable by their rectangular headlights and (excluding the F74) distinguishable from their predecessors (BVG Class D) by the modified front design with larger windshields and wipers.

The F84 unit 2770/71 was re-equipped with an open gangway in the early 1990s, in order to test this feature for the upcoming Class H trains.

As this was never intended for long term service, the unit was re-equipped with a regular direct current propulsion in 1980.

After the final shutdown of LZB in 1998 the devices were removed from all cars, however, traces of the automatic operation (e. g. blind plugs where the departure buttons used to be) could still be found in the cabs many years later.

All F84 and F87 already underwent a small refurbishment in the late 2000s, where the brown interior color was changed to the light grey of the F90 and F92.

Only a few F-Schaltwerker were retired before 2012 (some after derailments or severe defects), however, the oldest cars were approaching the end of their life cycle.

As the car bodies turned out to be in a good condition, all remaining F74 and F76 units underwent an extensive modernization and refurbishment program between 2011 and 2018.

Additionally, all units that underwent the modernization after summer 2015 were re-equipped with a new seat type also used in the new Class IK.

The modernized units are called F74E and F76E, but can be summarized as FE as the two batches are now nearly identical to each other, excluding the front design.

[4] It is not planned to extend the modernization program onto the later-built F-Drehstromer series as these are to be replaced by the new class J, which is expected to enter service in 2023.

All F79.3 were retired between 1999 and 2003 as spare parts for the early three-phase propulsion became harder to obtain, increasing maintenance costs.

Two units are preserved as training vehicles for the Berlin fire department and are stored in an unused tunnel near Jungfernheide station.

While the modernization of the F74 and F76 was still ongoing, it was discovered in 2015 that the F79 series suffered from structural defects, allowing only for eight more years of service and only if the units underwent repairs.

The units that underwent repair were to receive a simplified modernization with the new seats known from the Class IK and the F76E and door pneumatics adapted to those of the FE trains (without replacing the handles by buttons though).

By 2018 22 of 35 units were already pulled from service, stripped for spare components and subsequently scapped as a result of their excessive structural damage.