6 - Technical Forums: Traction Power

DELIVERING AN AUTOTRANSFORMER BASED

TRACTION POWER SOLUTION ON AN EXISTING
ELECTRIFIED OPERATIONAL RAILWAY
THE UK EXPERIENCE

Keith Warburton John Doughty

Balfour Beatty Rail Projects Balfour Beatty Rail Projects
Liverpool UK Liverpool UK
Steve Case Mark Worwood
Balfour Beatty Rail Projects Balfour Beatty Rail Projects
Liverpool UK Liverpool UK
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION

The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the Balfour Beatty Rail Projects have been involved in
main arterial routes in the United Kingdom (UK) running the Design, Equipment Supply and Installation of two,
from London in England to Glasgow in Scotland. Over key Autotransformer based projects in the UK and USA.
the last eight years, the route has been subject to a number Each project has had its own challenges and complexities
of up-grades aimed at simplifying the passage and and these are explored in the following sections of this
timetabling of trains and increasing the transit speed paper.
between major stations.
In the UK, Balfour Beatty has been working on the
One of the impacts of meeting the aspirations for overall upgrade of the West Coast Main Line (WCML)
increased speed and increased volumes of traffic has been since 1999, having secured, in the first instance, a
the need to increase the overall traction power capacity significant contract to design supply and install a new
and availability. To address this impact, an Overhead Line Conductor system to raise the operating
autotransformer based solution is being introduced onto speed to 125mph. This upgrade also required the design
the route. This solution provides for power delivery at and installation of new Traction Substations to bolster the
50kV rather than the conventional 25kV power delivery existing supplies giving an overall nett increase in system
in the UK. capacity as well as speed upgrade. To further enhance the
capacity of the system, in 2003 it was decided to
The paper describes the specific technical solutions introduce the final step, of conversion to an
adopted in the UK for both the Overhead Line Equipment autotransformer based 2 x 25kV system. The initial line
(OLE) and the feeding substations and considers the speed upgrade was complete in the October 2005 and it is
specific challenges posed in the UK when designing and envisaged the autotransformer system will be fully
implementing the enhancement on an existing operational commissioned in 2008.
railway whilst ensuring that the existing electrification
systems remain in operation. The works on WCML built on Balfour Beatty’s
experience on the Northeast Corridor Project (NEP) in the
The paper provides a high level comparison of the USA. Balfour Beatty commenced work on the NEP in
UK solutions with those adopted in the US on the 1995 having taken over the project from a previous
Northeast Corridor Project and reveals some of the contractor. It was determined at an early stage that an
challenges that still remain in terms of introducing the UK autotransformer based system was the most suitable for
system into final operational service. NEP and design works commenced on this basis. Balfour
Beatty formed a joint venture with Mass. Electric
Construction (MEC) to deliver the project based on
design works carried both in Liverpool UK and locally in

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the US at Old Saybrook. The scheme was designed to 1969 saw the electrification commence working North
operate at 150mph and was introduced into revenue towards Glasgow. Total electrification was complete in
service in 2001. 1974, at which point a full electric service commenced.

Both Projects were designed and executed with Various changes have taken place over the years,
occupational and operational safety being of paramount however the most significant scheme is now known as the
importance. High standards of safety were achieved in West Coast Route Modernisation (WCRM) and entails a
both cases with millions of man-hours being worked project valued at some £7.6 billion.
without significant safety related incidents.
Key Aspirations of the WCRM
THE WEST COAST MAIN LINE (UK)
The WCML route is the busiest in Europe carrying
both freight and passenger services and each year 75
million passenger journeys and over 40 per cent of the
country’s rail freight movements are made on the line.

The infrastructure, at the start of the WCRM Project

in 1999, was approaching 40 years old and the route was
restricted to a maximum 110mph running. As traffic
patterns and train loading increased over the lifetime of
the railway and, in some areas, the equipment approached
Glasgow Edinburgh the end of its design life, power loadings and levels of
Central Waverley
Station
unbalance were fast approaching or in some cases had
Station
reached the limits of the power supply infeed points.

As such the aspirations of the client, Network Rail

(NR), were to initially provide an infrastructure that could
reliably support the planned new fleet of intercity tilting
passenger locomotives, the Class 390 Pendolino, for line
London speeds of up to 140mph. Value engineering subsequently
Euston reduced this target to 125mph with minimal impact on
Station journey time. This would ultimately lead to a reduction in
journey times from 5 hours 6 minutes to 4 hours 15
minutes hours between Glasgow and London. There was
also a specific requirement to meet the planned increased
freight service requirements. To facilitate this a new,
robust and reliable power supply system was a necessity
Figure 1 – WCML Route
to not only meet the short-term requirements of the
railway but also to provide flexibility for the railway
Background
going forward into the 21st century.
The West Coast Main Line (WCML) in the UK
(Figure 1) runs from Euston Station, London England, The existing Electrification system on WCML
through to Glasgow Station in Scotland, a distance of
some 400miles. The Railway is predominantly a four The existing WCML distributed traction power
track line for the first 165miles, with intermittent sections supply system is fed at 25kV, 50Hz, single phase and is
of two tracks. The remaining route comprises generally configured as a standard classic feeding arrangement
two tracks, with the occasional increase in tracks in busy using, for approximately 75% of the route, structure
areas. The route is entirely electrified at 25kV single mounted booster transformers and dedicated Return
phase using Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) and this Conductors (RC). The remaining areas of the route use un
was instigated as part of the 1955 modernisation plan. boostered RC or running rail return only.

The original electrification started in Liverpool and The power supply system comprised some 24 feeder
Manchester and worked South, reaching Rugby in 1964. stations and approximately 90 trackside switching
The route through to Euston was complete in 1966 and substations configured to provide track sectioning

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locations in the conventional classic feeding The feeder stations take power from the local utility
arrangements. On NR infrastructure these distribution supply operator typically at 132kV 50Hz and convert the
substations are configured as Track Sectioning Cabins supply into 25kV 50Hz single phase via two infeed
(TSC), Intermediate Track Sectioning Cabins (ITSC) and transformers typically rated in the range 15 to 25MVA
Mid Point Track Sectioning Cabins (MPTSC) to suit the each. The feeder stations are positioned with a typical
standard classic feeding arrangements. separation of 40km (25miles) as required to maintain
Existing substations typically comprise indoor system voltage regulation under normal and abnormal
switchgear housed in either a brick-built or prefabricated operating conditions as follows:
sheet steel trackside buildings (Fig 2 and Fig 3). Feeder
connections to the OLE are either by insulated cables, or • Normal conditions: 16.5kV to 27.5kV.
by bare feeder wire connected via bushings mounted in
the roof of the building. The existing 25kV indoor • Abnormal conditions: 29kV for 5 minutes,
switchgear is either bulk oil or vacuum type with a typical 14.0kV for 10 minutes.
continuous rating of 800A and a fault rating of 6000A
with a Basic Insulation Level (BIL) of 250kV. • Minimum system voltage: 12.5kV for 2 minutes.

The power supply system was sectionalised into

feeding areas using OLE in-span insulation equipment
called Neutral Sections (Phase Breaks) located at mid
point and feeder locations which provide an earthed
section of contact wire between two separate feeding
areas.

The existing overall OLE system was rated for a

continuous current of 600 Amps and fault level of 6000
Amps for 3 seconds.

All equipment used on the system is designed to be

Figure 2 – Existing brick-built TSC compliant with the range of Specifications and Group
Standards that have been developed by Network Rail and
its predecessors over many years

System Development and Design

The volume of the design work for the Project lead to

a significant proportion of the UK’s railway based design
resource being deployed on the project, entailing up to
seven separate multi-disciplinary design offices operating
in various parts of the UK and abroad.

The design activities undertaken as part of system

development were as follows:

• Power supply system design.

Figure 3 – Existing directly connected TSC
• Substation detailed design.
The existing protection scheme on the track feeder
breakers is impedance-based and previously completed • Substation/OLE Interface design.
protection upgrade work on the system means that
• OLE Design
electro-mechanical protection relays had been replaced by
solid state protection relays prior to the start of the
The power supply system
WCRM Project.
The overall programme for the Project required the
125mph enhanced speed operation to be introduced on
strategic sections of the route by 2003 and subsequently

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on the whole route by 2005. To meet these timescales the Concerns existed regarding the connection of the
initial requirement was to reinforce the existing classic 400kV supergrid to the 25kV railway infrastructure,
power supply by the introduction of new feeder sites and particularly with respect to fault levels, safe touch and
switching substations at strategic points along the route. step potentials and general interconnection of the earthing
This was known as the enhanced classic system. With a systems of the two networks. A group of specialists was
view to the subsequent introduction of an therefore assembled from various areas of the UK rail and
Autotransformer (AT) based power supply, any new utility industries and research establishments into a
substation equipment specified for the enhanced classic working group called the Earthing Connections Working
system design had to make passive provision for the Group (ECWG). This group met on a regular basis to
future conversion to an AT based power supply. review the design and earthing strategy for each of the
proposed infeed locations. Each infeed point was
In parallel with the design development for the modelled and assessed individually and site specific
enhanced classic system, technical and commercial earthing and bonding requirements were also developed
assessments were being made for the introduction of AT as required.
feeding and this led to a decision being made in 2003 to
introduce the AT system as part of the final solution. Another important issue was to determine the traction
system fault level to be adopted for the new power supply
The proposal for the new supply system implements system. The original aspiration, to maximise the
AT feeding on only the main direct route from London to capability of the power supply system, was to design for a
Glasgow, leaving a number of major and minor branch fault level of 12kA. However, following a detailed design
and loop lines operating in the traditional classic feeding risk assessment process, the limitations of the existing
configuration. signalling system and OLE required that the system
would need to be designed to limit the fault to 6kA.
The power system design process was highly iterative
and required a protracted period of simulation work that The final AT system design developed comprises 11
was conducted for both the enhanced classic system and utility infeeds and 59 trackside substations (compare with
the new AT based system. The primary requirements for 15 classic feeder stations and 62 classic trackside
the power supply system design process were to substations on the equivalent part of the system prior to
determine the locations and ratings for the infeed points, the project’s inception) and some 1100 miles of 25kV
trackside substation and the rating for the Autotransformer Feeder (ATF). The trackside substations
autotransformers that meet the voltage regulation are configured as Autotransformer Sites (ATS),
requirements of the system under all the specified Sectioning Autotransformer Sites (SATS), Midpoint
operating conditions as follows: Autotransformer Sites (MPATS) and Autotransformer
Feeder Sites (ATFS).
• Normal conditions: 19kV to 27.5kV
The 400kV infeed substations incorporate two
• Abnormal conditions: 29kV for 5minutes, 80MVA single phase transformers with the double
17.5kV for 2 minutes secondary windings configured to generate the 25kV-0-
25kV traction supply. The 50kV supply is then fed to the
The existing UK 132kV system had clear limitations ATFS via insulated cables and an outdoor 25kV switching
on the capacity of individual infeed points and the compound. Typical spacing of the infeed points is 70-
unbalance limitations imposed upon on the system. AT 80km however given the difficulty in obtaining planning
based systems require fewer infeed points but with a permissions this figure varies significantly. Fault limiting
substantially higher rating. The decision was therefore reactors have been installed in series with each of the
taken to utilise the UK’s 400kV supergrid system. This infeed transformer secondaries to limit the fault level to
was a new requirement for NR infrastructure and required 6kA (Fig 4). The reactors have tap settings to enable a
400kV installations, to be built by the controller of the range of reactance figures that provide flexibility for
supergrid, at the required positions along the route. These operating in both Classic and AT mode. They also to
installations are substantial and land acquisitions and permit the system fault level to be increased to 10kA
planning permissions were a significant issue to should this be feasible at some point in the future.
overcome. Consequently the positions of the infeed
points were subject to change and this formed part of the
iterative system simulation process.

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• New substation buildings where required would be

of a modular self-contained design.

Provision of modular substation buildings requires

each substation to be designed in the form of
prefabricated steel building modules that are fully fitted
out with all equipment at the manufacturers works prior to
delivery to site. This eliminates the need for building
works at difficult trackside locations and also minimises
the amount of equipment installation works on site. This
also permits an element of testing of the combined plant
prior to delivery.

In general new substations are being provided for the

proposed system. However at some existing classic
Figure 4 – AT Infeed supply transformer configuration substation locations the +25kV switchboards will be
modified for AT feeding. The new substations wile being
The electrical feeding sections for the new AT system supplied in single modular buildings are designed to be
are longer than for classic feeding since the feeder split into manageable sections to facilitate delivery by
stations are spaced further apart but are separated using road to site where they are subsequently reassembled
Neutral Sections (Phase Breaks) in the OLE in similar (Fig 5). The buildings are located trackside along with
fashion to the classic feeding arrangements. Sub- the autotransformers on simple concrete bases (Fig 6).
sectioning is achieved at SATS and ATS locations and Feeder connections to the OLE and to the ATF and the
wherever possible the OLE and ATF are sectioned at the autotransformers and are by insulated cables.
same place to simplify the process of isolating a particular
section of infrastructure.

Once the high level system design was complete

three fundamental deliverables were established in order
for the detailed design to commence. These comprise
Major Feeding Diagrams (MFD) defining the power
supply system in terms of overall feeding areas, Single
Line Diagrams defining the configuration of the
individual substations and substation site plans. These
coupled with the associated standard and specifications
developed for the project enabled the detailed design
process to commence

The detailed design process for the trackside Figure 5 – Modular building delivery to site
substations is inevitably much the same as for any other
traction power system, requiring civils design, electrical
equipment design and cable route design. Two unique
features are worthy of note:

• The substation equipment was required to make

passive provision for future AT operation i.e.
installing suitable switchgear with both + 25kV and
-25kV busbars and associated OLE and ATF circuit
breakers. The site can, if required, operate under
classic operation with the autotransformers and
-25kV switchgear rendered inoperable and then be
quickly converted to AT operation.
Figure 6 – Re-assembly of modular building

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The new substations comprise indoor SF6 Gas configuration of the supported OLE conductors.
Insulated Switchgear (GIS) in a double busbar Additionally the introduction of the ATF was required.
arrangement to facilitate control and switching of both Incorporating these requirements onto an existing OLE
poles of the 25kV-0-25kV supply. The OLE and ATF system with minimum cost and disruption presents
feeder circuit breakers have a continuous rating of 1250A significant challenges.
and fault rating of 12.5kA for 3 seconds with a BIL of
250kV. When it is considered that the route covers
approximately 400 miles, some 1100 track miles,
The primary protection scheme on the feeder approximately 25,000 support masts, 467 over bridges
breakers remains impedance based as with the classic and 9 tunnels, the enormity of the task comes into
scheme. The system configuration presents particular perspective.
challenges in terms of fault detection and isolation of the
faulted section. A new protection strategy has been As discussed earlier the OLE design has been
developed that uses state of the art intelligent protection upgraded by the introduction of dynamically improved
relays and includes a mass trip and an auto restore ‘simple sagged catenary’ equipment as part of the
function. 125mph speed enhancement works on the Project (Fig. 8).

The autotransformers as designed are ONAN units

rated at 15MVA, ground mounted on concrete plinths and
located at each trackside substation, with a minimum of
two transformers at each location (Fig 7). At SATS,
MPATS and ATFS locations 4 transformers are installed.

Figure 8 –Simple Sagged Catenary

The existing system extensively used the booster

transformer arrangement for EMI suppression and so has
an RC already installed on the back of the masts along the
Figure 7 - Autotransformer
route on both sides of the track. There are, however,
exceptions to this arrangement that have no RC installed.
The interface between the substations and the OLE
The minimal impact solution developed was to convert
infrastructure requires a detailed cable route design for
the existing RC, where fitted, to become the new ATF
interconnections between each substations and the OLE
conductor (Fig 9). Where there is presently no RC fitted,
infrastructure. Additionally the trackside switching
or where the existing RC could not support the new
requirements associated with the OLE and ATF feeder
current demand of the AT system, a new ATF conductor
connections onto the overhead have to be accommodated.
will be installed. Once installed, the ATF is configured to
As such a detailed design process was developed for the
continue to function as the RC until final changeover to
substation feeder switching structures which co-ordinates
AT feeding.
the design of the substation equipment, the cable route
design, along track ATF design and the trackside
switching design.

The overhead catenary system

The conversion of the existing WCML OLE
infrastructure from the existing classic power supply
arrangement requires an adjustment to the physical

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Figure 11 – Point cloud survey output

Figure 9 – New ATF conductor placement The design uses information from historical design
documentation along with existing aerial surveys and any
The existing RC has been designed and installed for input from third party designs. This information was co-
3kV clearances. During conversion of the RC to the ATF ordinated and reviewed against the calibrated video tool
conductor a reassessment of all the clearances is required. output in a desktop study. Any inconsistencies were
identified and made to be a subject of further survey
The original survey information needed to be work.
supplemented to support the clearance assessment. A
video recording tool was utilised to both provide updated When all information was available the routing
survey information and to identify areas that required design could be progressed. Horizontal and vertical
further survey input (Fig.10). This tool is essentially a clearances were checked under a variety of environmental
visual recording of the route taken from train cab conditions (wind, temperature and ice) that apply to the
mounted video cameras that allows the designer to area of the route in question. This data was used in
interrogate and measure any features displayed on the conjunction with the defined conductor type and thermal
recordings up to a tolerance of +/-50mm from the profiling to establish worst case sags and blow-offs for
adjacent track. This tolerance is sufficient for most of the the conductor. This information could then be used to
route requirements, specific areas requiring closer establish the support heights and across track positioning
tolerances were targeted by the survey crews. of the ATF to ensure that minimum clearances are met.
These clearances are defined by regulatory authorities and
cover minimum ground to conductor dimensions
anywhere within the support span, credible standing
surfaces, in the vicinity of signals and above platforms.

Routing of the ATF through overbridges and tunnels

presents particular difficulties with respect to meeting the
minimum clearances. Thus each bridge and tunnel has its
own site specific design that is considered using a
hierarchy of specific types of design solution to ensure
cost effectiveness. The hierarchy used throughout the
design process is as follows:

Figure 10 – Calibrated digital video recording tool

At overbridges ‘point cloud’ surveys were specified

(Fig 11). This enabled the designers to have a complete
profile of the bridge or tunnel soffit, parapet and
surrounding embankment in order to be able to check the
various clearance requirements during the design phase.

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Figure 12 – Free Running Figure 15 – Low level cable solution

The ATF conductor is routed through the bridge Similar to the high level solution but where the
without the need for any support attachments onto the insulated 25 kV cable cannot be routed at high level. In
bridge in achieving all of the 25kV clearance criteria. (Fig this case the insulated cable is routed down the masts
12) adjacent to the bridge into cable troughs at ground level
through the bridge. The insulated cable terminates onto
the ATF conductor via vertically orientated cable sealing
ends. (Fig 15).

A suite of support techniques was established that

interfaced with the mast types and civil structures (Fig.
16, Fig. 17).

Figure 13 – OLE fitted solution

The ATF conductor is routed through the bridge but

requires support attachments to enable all of the 25kV
clearance criteria to be met. (Fig. 13)

Figure 16 – Typical ATF support techniques

Figure 14 – High level cable solution

The ATF conductor cannot be used because 25kV

clearance criteria cannot be met. In this case the bare ATF
conductor is terminated each side of the bridge onto the
bridge parapet or adjacent mast. An insulated 25kV cable
is run through the bridge and supported near the soffit and
connected to the bare conductor either side via in-line
horizontally orientated cable sealing ends. (Fig 14).

Figure 17 - Typical ATF support techniques

Each ATF support location is analysed structurally to

determine the imposed loads associated with the
positioning of the ATF conductor. To avoid substantial
mast replacements wherever possible, mast strengthening
options were investigated through finite element analysis

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that resulted in resolving 85 to 90% of the cases where an Two wiring trains were built for the project that won
overload was identified. This strengthening technique two UK industry awards in 2003 and have since been
involved a simple bolt-on design that could be performed used on other NR projects in the UK to great success.
with minimal disruption to the operational railway.

The design progressed to completion, producing

deliverables in the following three categories:

• Demonstration of ‘due process’

• Identification and manufacture of the materials.

• Providing information as to the required

installation position of the materials

Implementation In The UK

Construction Aspects

Construction activity in the early stage of the project

comprised major OLE renewal and replacement works
required for the line speed enhancement activity.
Subsequently activity was focussed on the Figure 18 – Wiring Train
implementation AT power supply, primarily in the form
of installing the ATF conductor and trackside switching Piling train
installations associated with the new substations. The majority of new and replacement OLE structures
on the Project require piled foundations. Again existing
The Projects overriding construction requirements technology was considered inadequate for the Projects
were to minimise disruption to normal rail operations by significant demands and so a purpose built self propelled
carrying out all tasks within the confines of standard piling train was developed. The train has two
overnight and weekend possessions, which can be as little independent piling units that employs hydraulic pile
as 4 hours, with the infrastructure left in a condition such driving technology to install tubular steel piles, Fig (19),
that train operation can resume at full line speed. and has the ability to install piles below existing overhead
lines, and without interrupting train movements on
A highly mechanised approach was adopted with the adjacent tracks. The piling operation can take as little as
construction works using on-track machinery specifically 20minutes. On board cranes can also handle off loading
developed for the project as described below: and erection of the OLE masts which allows the piles to
be installed and the masts erected in the same possession,
Wiring train
Following an appraisal of the technology available, a To date nearly 2000 foundations and masts have been
purpose-built self-propelled wiring train was developed to installed using two piling trains with a record number of
meet the project requirements (Fig 18). The wiring train 300 piles driven in a single week.
operates under it’s own power and can run in normal
traffic on the operational railway as well as within the
worksite.

Overall the train is 230 meters (755 feet) long, has a

crawl speed of 1 mph within work sites and an operational
speed of up 60mph. The wiring operation is separated into
five processes with separate sections of the train dedicated
to each process. The train can separate into its five
operational units while working within the work site.

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Installation of the ATF has presented unique

challenges to the project. While it may first appear that
the wiring train presents the best solution for installing the
ATF wire, the practicalities of installing the ATF
conductor on the outside of the OLE structures means that
the use of the wiring train becomes slow and inefficient.

A method of installation for the ATF using high level

winches has been adopted successfully. The process
requires two RRV’s, one equipped with winching
equipment and one equipped with ATF conductor
installed on a drum. Temporary pulleys are installed
along the route of the ATF on the OLE structures. The
winch wire is fed through the series of pulleys and
connected onto the ATF that is installed onto the second
RRV cable drum. The ATF is then winched through,
mounted upon the previously installed ATF insulators.
Fig. 21 shows the RRV equipped with the winching
Figure 19– Piling train equipment and Fig. 22 shows the ATF drum feeding out
from the second RRV.
Road - Rail Vehicles (RRV’s)
Road-rail vehicles are used for modification and A novel use for the wiring train has been developed
replacement of OLE equipment and serve a vital function. to provide installation of insulated ATF cable through
They are in essence a standard commercial road going tunnels. The working platform sections of the wiring
truck modified with rail running gear and a purpose built train are used by operatives to drill and install the cable
man basket and traction type pantograph (Fig. 20). The support system at high level on the tunnel walls as the
vehicles conform to both rail and road regulations making train progresses through the tunnel. A separate section of
them suitable for highway or rail use. They are highly the wiring train is equipped with the insulated ATF cable
manoeuvrable, and rapidly reaching 56mph on the road installed upon a cable drum which, once the cable
and up to 20mph on the railway. They are particularly supports are in place, is fed out as the train progresses
suitable for working in difficult inaccessible locations and through the tunnel and is installed upon the cable
have proved to be invaluable to the Project with a fleet of supports. Cable jointing is the final activity which is
up to 53 units being in use at the Projects peak. carried out separately from the installation exercise.

By utilising purpose built and customised

mechanised plant the significant challenges of the WCRM
Project requirements have been met economically,
efficiently and safely, with two separate periods of one
million site hours being worked without any safety related
incidents.

Figure 20 - RRV’s

In terms of implementing the AT power supply

system the main constructional requirements for the OLE
infrastructure are to install the trackside switching
structure masts and foundations. Associated switches and
OLE interconnections have been installed using RRVs as
a standard process.

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New AT trackside substations could, as a result of the

self contained modular nature of the buildings, be
delivered to site, installed and pre-commissioned without
interfering with the existing substations. SATS, MPATS
and ATFS substations are configured to have a classic
operational stage and once installed were introduced into
classic service with the associated existing classic
substation being decommissioned (only the ATS
substations have no classic feeding capability). All
substation and associated track feeder equipment, with the
exception of the final jumper connections to the OLE and
ATF wires, can be installed and pre-commissioned in
advance of the date for the introduction of the site into
service. This allows new substations to be introduced into
Figure 21 – RRV with winch service within a typical weekend track possession of 8
hours.

Changeover for the ATF, pre-installed and

functioning as an RC under classic operation, is
straightforward. This requires the booster transformers to
be bypassed using jumper wires, and all connections to
the RC from the running rails/return conductor system to
be removed. Finally, any jumpers that have been installed
to bypass any in line insulation in the ATF at sectioning
points are also removed.

Final introduction of AT feeding on the WCRM

Project is still in its early stages. Trial sections have been
successfully introduced for short durations for testing and
monitoring purposes and subsequently converted back to
Figure 22 – RRV with drum carrier classic operation. It is expected that the first two sections
of route will be introduced into permanent AT operation
Migration From Classic Operation To AT in Summer 2006.
Operation
CONTRASTING THE UK SYSTEM WITH
The fundamental requirement was that any THE USA SYSTEM
modifications made to the infrastructure must support the
current classic feeding operation. Additionally, following In electrifying the route between New Haven and
the installation of all the new equipment, it was essential Boston, the aim was to provide an entirely electrified
that the system can, in stages, be converted to AT feeding service over the Northeast Corridor from Washington to
without significant disruption to the railway i.e. within the Boston, which could compete against the airlines by
normal operational possession regime. reducing journey times to 3hrs and eliminating the time
required for traction stock changeover at the existing
The primary requirements for the power supply were electrification limits. The electrification scheme was
to reinforce the existing classic power supply system as required to cater for a mix of inter-city, commuter and
early as possible. Five key infeed locations were mail trains, some operating at speeds up to a maximum of
determined and initial design and construction activity 150 mph. The largest of these trains incorporates 2
concentrated on these sites. These new ATFS locations locomotives and 18 passenger cars and has a maximum
were introduced in classic feeding mode with the –25kV power demand in excess of 12 MW. This is a significant
busbar and associated ATF circuit breakers installed and electrical load for a single train, which helps to explain
connected as far as the associated trackside switches but why the 2 x 25 kV AT system was chosen so as to
left inoperable. provide a power supply system that would be sufficiently
robust. Traction power is drawn from the utilities at four
substations, each of which has dual 115 kV in-feeds, and

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dual 40 MVA supply transformers. Switching stations, The railway electrical infrastructure is largely of the
incorporating autotransformers, are located at intervals same configuration on both projects, modified as one
that are typically five miles. The flexible configuration of would expect to reflect the particular standards in
the electrical equipment ensures that in the event of a operation and the electrical capacity requirements. One
single equipment outage, the operational requirements can salient difference lies in the HV connection availability,
still be met using alternative feeding arrangements. in that in the UK an accessible 400kV supergrid exists
which provides for a very strong point of connection.
In comparing the two systems it is apparent that, in Connecting at this voltage level has allowed for the power
principle, the configurations and overall design to be drawn without the need for special provisions such
development approach are similar. The key differences lie as harmonic filters and power factor correction
in the detail and these are in turn manifested from the equipment. In the US on NEP special designs were
operational, route and electrical aspects of the two carried out that led to the necessity to provide both
projects. harmonic filtering and combined power factor correction
equipment at the connection points in order to ensure that
In operational terms, both systems required that a the utility requirements could be complied with.
service pattern of trains was allowed to operate during the
process of construction. In the case of the NEP this was a CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER
non electric service since the route beyond New Haven CHALLENGES
had no existing electrification system. Conversely in the
UK, the existing system is electrified and thus a It is clear that with careful design, construction
predominantly electric service had to be maintained planning and progressive implementation, an AT based
throughout the works period. This requirement has scheme can be introduced within the constraints presented
necessitated the staged progressive introduction of the by an existing operational railway, whether that railway
new AT system with various design and construction has existing electrification or not. The architecture of the
features that allow for this progression to take place. system remains largely the same however designs need to
be developed to reflect the particular challenges of the
In route terms, the WCML in the UK presented route, the utility interface and the operational interface.
particular features such as bridges and tunnels with small
electrical clearances, necessitating a variety of special Challenges still remain in the UK to finally introduce
solutions. The NEP route presented the requirement to the full AT system through the principal route and these
pass through some tight overbridges and in particular lie in the areas of system commissioning, protection re-
presented the special problem of movable underbridges. configuration and decommissioning of redundant assets.
The solutions to these challenges have been thought
The movable bridge feature required the development through and the system is poised ready for the successful
of unique mechanisms to allow for the opening and conversion in the next couple of years
closing of existing rail bridges that cross the waterways
along the route. In total five (5) bridges had to be
designed so that the overhead line equipment could be de-
energised and retracted whilst allowing the bridge to open
and the electrical sections to be fed beyond the bridge. To
facilitate the continuation of electrical feeding it was
required to design and install submarine cables beneath
the waterways.

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