High Speed 1 – formerly known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link – is nearing completion and ABB is now in the hand-over stages of a major four-anda- half year, turnkey contract for Section 2 of this EDF Energy project.
The contract has included eight specially adapted trackside substations to supply the continental European style 25-0-25kV traction power for the catenary system.
The main grid connection, at National Grid’s Barking substation, is provided by an ABB 400/25-0-25kV transformer. This has been linked by an 1800m cable connection to Choats Road feeder substation, which also houses two 46MVAr ABB SVCs (Static Var Compensators).
The contract has achieved a remarkable health and safety record, clocking up well over 250,000 hours without an LTI (lost time incident).