Cost-effective electrification of low clearance bridges

Abstract

Civil engineering works are a significant cost factor when electrifying a legacy rail network. In order to satisfy the clearing distances according to BS EN 50124-1, a number of structures from the Victorian era would need to be rebuilt. These clearing distances were established in the 1970s and have not been reviewed in light of advances in electrical insulation coordination and materials research. Network Rail and the University of Southampton investigated the effect of different mitigation strategies in order to reduce the clearing distances in a safe manner. Different combinations of the use of a surge arrestor, different types of polymeric wire covering, bridge arms and an insulating coating on the simulated bridge structure have been tested under laboratory conditions. The empirical results demonstrated that the combination of a surge arrestor and polyurea coating offer the most effective reduction of the clearing distance, with wire covers having a minor contribution under certain circumstances. These findings were then applied to the Cardiff Intersection Bridge in Wales, UK, leading to cost savings of approximately £30-40 million as part of this electrification project.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Thomas Andritsch: orcid.org/0000-0002-3462-022X

ORCID for Paul Lewin: orcid.org/0000-0002-3299-2556

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