November 5 - When the new Channel Tunnel Rail Link opens in 2006 it will slash 40 minutes off both the London-Brussels and London-Paris lines, and transport millions of passengers a year at speeds of up to 300 kph. ABB will make sure the power – and the trains - run smoothly.
By
Editorial services
The 109-kilometer rail link will connect London to the Channel Tunnel and make Eurostar – the high-speed rail service that links London to Paris and Brussels – the fastest, most efficient means of inter-city travel across the English Channel.
When the link opens in 2006, it will enable up to eight Eurostar trains an hour each way to travel at speeds of up to 300 kph.
The travel time between London and Paris will be slashed to two hours 15 minutes, and between London and Brussels to two hours – two of the fastest links between capitals in the European Union.
Power technology for high-speed trains
|
Eyhorne Street tunnel, Hollingbourne, Kent
State-of-the-art high-speed trains place enormous demands on the power systems that feed them.
The voltage from the grid has to be lowered to the level required by the railway system in the most cost-effective way possible and without incurring large power losses; and voltage unbalance, traction voltage fluctuations, and harmonic distortion have to be kept at minimum levels.
EDF Energy, which owns and operates the trackside power distribution infrastructure, has awarded ABB contracts worth more US$ 30 million to ensure that these demands are fulfilled.
ABB technology was chosen for its capability to increase efficiency, cut costs, reduce losses and support higher traction loads.