Standard current and voltage settings for much of Central Europe's train transport
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Railway electrification systems used in Europe:
Non-electrified
750 V DC
1.5 kV DC
3 kV DC
15 kV AC
25 kV AC
A pylon of a single-phase AC 110 kV power line near Bartholomä in Germany. Lines of this type are used in Germany to supply electric railways with single-phase AC at 16.7 hertz. In the substations of the railway, transformers are used to step it down to 15 kV.
Railway electrification using alternating current (AC) at 15 kilovolts (kV) and 16.7 hertz (Hz) are used on transport railways in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, and Norway. The high voltage enables high power transmission with the lower frequency reducing the losses of the traction motors that were available at the beginning of the 20th century. Railway electrification in late 20th century tends to use 25 kV, 50 Hz AC systems which has become the preferred standard for new railway electrifications but extensions of the existing 15 kV networks are not completely unlikely. In particular, the Gotthard Base Tunnel (opened on 1 June 2016) still uses 15 kV, 16.7 Hz electrification.
Due to high conversion costs, it is unlikely that existing 15 kV, 16.7 Hz systems will be converted to 25 kV, 50 Hz despite the fact that this would reduce the weight of the on-board step-down transformers to one third that of the present devices.
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of 25 kVACelectrification is closely connected with that of successfully using utility frequency. This electrification is ideal for railways that cover...
coordinates) GPX (secondary coordinates) Electric railways in Sweden are powered from a single-phase AC supply of 15kV at 16+2⁄3 Hz, as used in Germany, Austria...
railways in 1948, British Railways (BR) expanded electrification at both 1,500 V DC overhead and 660/750 V third rail. In 1956, BR adopted 25 kVAC overhead...
Burdwan, was upgraded to 25 kVAC in 1968. 25 kVACrailwayelectrification emerged as an economical form of electrification as a result of research and...
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5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with a 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930. The previously used 1.5 kV DC was converted to 25 kVAC on...
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Institute of Railway Engineers carried out calculations for railwayelectrification at 12 kV DC, showing that the equivalent loss levels for a 25 kVAC system...
Germany. For traction current, see List of installations for 15kVACrailwayelectrification in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. As of July 2023, Germany...
on 15kVAC system. In the same year, the Jugowice - Walim railway line was also opened. In the following years, the number of electrifiedrailway lines...
generation of traction current see List of installations for 15kVACrailwayelectrification in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, for that of Mariazeller...
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Switzerland. For traction current see List of installations for 15kVACrailwayelectrification in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There are 556 hydroelectric...
feeding railway systems with AC of a different frequency from that of the main electricity grid. In Europe, this would typically be for 15kVACrailway electrification...
incorporated into the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). In 1930, the SBB modified the electrification to its standard of 15kV 16.7 Hz AC. In 1997 the branch line between...
start of 1960s under British Railways. Firstly came 6.25 kVAC overhead power lines from the Cathcart Circle Line electrification scheme, which started on...
operational safety and a high share of electrification. Electrifiedrailway networks operate at a plethora of different voltages AC and DC varying from 750 to 25...
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