The units were designed within the framework of the Universal Exhibition in Brussels in 1935, designed to be a chic and modern way to link Brussels and Antwerp. They were the first electric units of the SNCB. The AM35 coaches were withdrawn from passenger service between 1959 and 1962 due to the heavy wear and tear they inflicted on the rails, several power cars were refurbished into mail trains for the Belgian postal service in 1967–1968. These mail trains were subsequently withdrawn in 1988.