Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) chooses ABB for power protection

Switzerland’s rail network is one of the best in the world. With over 10,700 trains on the network carrying 1.25 million passengers each day with a punctuality rate of more than 90 percent, Swiss Federal Railways’ (SBB) network serves as the backbone of Switzerland.

Since its establishment more than 125 years ago, ABB has been closely linked to rail travel in the country. It has worked with SBB to contribute toward innovations in rail technology and infrastructure that enable sustainable mobility. Over the years, ABB has provided its complete portfolio of critical infrastructure including traction substations that feed and distribute electricity to the lines, as well as high- and medium-voltage equipment necessary to power trains.

Taking this relationship forward, SBB has signed a new five-year frame contract with ABB for power protection and support. SBB has selected RER670 Intelligent Electronic Device (IED) from the globally-acclaimed Relion product family for transformer protection and line distance protection.

“The transmission line and transformers are central components to ensure safe and reliable power supply for SBB’s network,” said Gerold Kuonen, technology asset manager, electrical power & grid protection, SBB Infrastructure. “ABB protection relays help to protect these components and are, therefore, an important part of safe and reliable railway electrification.”

While ABB has been supplying REB500 for busbar protection, this is the first time that SBB has chosen RER670 for line and transformer protection.

“ABB has a long-standing relationship with SBB to supply power solutions and proudly supports these operations and the future expansion of SBB’s rail network,” said Massimo Danieli, head of ABB’s Grid Automation Business Line within the company’s Power Grids business. “With the new frame contract, ABB has firmly placed itself as a leader in quality and price-performance for protection systems for railway applications”.

ABB products improve power quality and protect the network trains rely on as well as the surrounding grid from voltage disturbances. RER670 provides both customized and pre-configured protection solutions and protects transformers and power lines with high sensitivity. 

ABB has been able to implement the complete railway power protection application into a single solution without sacrificing any of the performance or flexibility of the core 670 series. With Relion RER670, ABB offers a single solution encompassing the entire scope of railway power delivery, transmission, transformation and traction power. The product is proven in simple and complex environments and can help transform rail infrastructure into a more reliable and future-proof system.