Background

The project addresses the requirement to upgrade the E&P infrastructure on the north and mid-Kent lines to meet the Train Operating Company’s (TOC’s) aspiration to run 12-car trains, increasing capacity by 20% from the current 10-car units.

Phase 1 enhances the infrastructure to cope with a limited number of 12-car Class 465 units on the lines between London and Gravesend, London and Hayes, and London and Sevenoaks. The works are designed to achieve a 7.5kA route setting.

To provide a 7.5kA route setting and a traction voltage uplift to 750V DC third rail, covering the refurbishment and upgrading of twenty two substations and Traction Paralleling Huts (TPHs) and forty eight Electrical Track Equipment (ETEs). This required around 70km of cable and many associated other electrical works, operating on a short timescale at over seventy sites.

Substations and Traction Paralleling Huts (TPHs)

• 33kV switchgear – three panel HVCB suite
• Transformer rectifiers – 3MW Class G
• 750V switchgear – switchgear resistor change, 4kA DCCBs, 6kA Main DC and cables to rectifier; 8kA Main DC and cables to rectifier
• Protection equipment – overload changes to new route setting, decommissioning and removal of MITS equipment, increase rectifier protection; impedance protection and frame leakage
• SCADA – new RTU, update existing RTUs
• Battery chargers - new TPH, DC switchgear, HV switchgear and rectifier
• LV equipment – supply to new TPH; 70kVA 33kV. 415V aux. transformer
• New or diverted LV supply
• Data and telephone lines – removal, provision, diverted
• Removal of old equipment
• New positive (1000mm) (240mm) and negative (800mm) cabling
• UTX for CMS
• TPH module base