December 20, 2009 - ABB won a $70 million order from Transport for London, the body responsible for the city's public transport, to build a new bulk supply point substation to power the London underground rail system. The Edgware Road substation is part of a plan to upgrade power supply to the underground's railway lines and support the introduction of new rolling stock. ABB’s part of the project is due to be completed in 2012. “Modern urban rail systems rely on efficient and reliable power supplies,” said Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division.
“ABB has the technologies and a global track record of successfully designing and managing such projects, including work with the London underground, and we are delighted to help strengthen this rail network.” ABB will design, supply, install and commission the substation and will also supply products that include 22 kilovolt (kV) and 11kV switchboards as well as coupling transformers. In addition, ABB will install about 20 kilometers of 22kV and 11kV power cable in the tunnels and ducts. Power quality studies will also be carried out as part of the project. London Underground's Circle, District, Hammersmith, City and Metropolitan lines are due to receive the new trains by mid 2010.
They will replace aging rolling stock, increase capacity and introduce improvements such as air conditioning and electronic signage. ABB is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 120,000 people.
