ABB has signed a contract to supply Lithuanian Railways with a 25kV power solution to electrify 730 kilometres of rail track between Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius and the port city of Klaipeda.
This is the company’s largest EU 25kV rail electrification order to date.
As part of the project, being delivered via a joint venture partnership between Elecnor and Inabensa, ABB will design and supply 25 kilovolt equipment packages for six 110/25kV traction substations, eight autotransformer stations and three sectioning posts.
It will also install its medium-voltage gas-insulated switchgear, specifically designed for railway applications.
Using 70% less space than other products, this is easy to install with no gas handling on site and features a ‘sealed for life’ installation panel for minimum maintenance.
In its first deployment of traction switchgear technology in Lithuania, ABB will also custom build six variations of its structure-mounted outdoor switchgear (SMOS).
Assembled and pretested in the ABB factory, these are easy to transport within a standard gauge, which significantly reduces site works and commissioning time by allowing the handling of multiple sites in parallel.
ABB’s FSKII+ outdoor vacuum-insulated trackside circuit breaker will provide the switching element.
Upon completion, it’s estimated that the Vilnius-Klaipeda corridor will be used by over three quarters of all cargo and two thirds of rail passengers in Lithuania. It could also achieve up to one billion EUR (0.98bn USD) in reduced costs and economic benefits for the country.
Partly funded by the EU Cohesion Fund, this project forms part of a wider programme to electrify 39 percent of Lithuania’s rail network by 2030. This will improve interoperability with the wider EU rail network.
Rail electrification in the country currently stands at just eight percent.
“Extending railway electrification across Europe and beyond is key to creating a green transport network.
“Our technology will ensure a reliable, safe and efficient service while delivering sustainable mobility for the millions of passengers and freight who use this line every day.
“It supports our customers’ green ambitions and demonstrates what can be achieved through innovation and collaborative working.
“Lithuania is now well on track to electrify over a third of its rail network by 2030.”
