They were built by GEC-Alstom and Ateliers du Nord de la France, (which became Bombardier) for SNCF and are used on the TER Network.

They are mainly used on stopping services around the French Riviera (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), Lille (Nord-Pas-de-Calais) and Lyon (Rhône-Alpes).

The Class Z 92050 offer a better power performance in comparison of tracted VO 2N and a satisfying capacity.

Rhône-Alpes and PACA was also interested about the Z 2N series due to the growth of frequentation but wanted better amenagements for long distances.

The Z 2N platform was used due to its capacity, and upgrades were introduced like better seats and an IGBT based traction system.