ABB will supply and install four autotransformer-switching stations for the new Red Line elevated rail system in Bangkok. Autotransformer switching stations are a vital part of the traction power supply system, located at intervals alongside the rail tracks, their key function being to feed electricity from the power grid to the trains via the overhead catenary.
Key components supplied include a 115kV gas-insulated (GIS) bulk substation, traction transformers, auxiliary transformers, 24kV main ring unit, 24kV and 25kV switchgear. ABB will also deliver its state-of-the-art Structure Mounted Outdoor Switchgear (SMOS) Light technology, designed to reduce the time required for construction, testing and commissioning by as much as 30 percent, as the modules are delivered completely assembled and pre-tested.
Reliability of power supply will be ensured with compact switchgear. To achieve an effective and cost-efficient substation, the solution utilizes advanced protection and control deploying the global IEC 61850 communication standard. These innovative solutions reinforce ABB's commitment to sustainable mobility.
The Red Line project is one of the mega infrastructure investment programs of the Thai Government and is composed of two lines. One section of 26 kilometers (km) from Bang Sue to Rangsit in the north (North Line) and another 15-km section from Bang Sue to Taling Chan in the west (West Line) are expected to be completed in 2020. The Red Line will connect the Bangkok region with north, east, south and west suburban areas, making life simpler for the 131,000 daily commuters when it is pressed into service.
The Red Line for Bangkok was proposed by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to address traffic problems and encourage a shift from road transport to urban rail. In Thailand, the population is mostly dependent on automobile and bus transportation and as a result, traffic congestion, as well as air pollution from the traffic is getting severe. This has triggered the need for a low carbon mass transit and transportation infrastructure.
