ABB wins $18 mn traction transformer order from Indian railways

Oct 19, 2018: ABB has won an order of about $18 million from Indian Railways to supply traction transformers. These transformers are customised for the WAP-7 type electric locomotive. The 6,000-horsepower strong locomotive can haul 24 coaches at a speed of up to 140 kilometres per hour.

The project is part of the 'Mission Electrification' initiative of the Indian Railways, which aims to convert an additional 24,000 kilometres of railways from fossil fuel to electrification. The mission also aims to enhance energy efficiency by adopting high quality equipment and facilitating the increased adoption of renewable energy in railway operations.

"We are proud to extend our long-standing relationship with the Indian Railways and contribute to the electrification of the country’s rail network. These transformers have been specially designed to deliver the highest levels of performance and efficiency," said Laurent Favre, head of ABB’s transformers business, a part of the company’s Power Grids division.

The transformers will be manufactured at ABB’s Vadodara facility in Gujarat.

ABB transformers power about half the world’s electrical locomotives and train sets, and most train manufacturers and rail operators rely on them. ABB’s traction transformers are compact, lightweight and extremely reliable. In addition to traction power solutions, ABB provides a diverse power portfolio for rail and urban transport solutions including static frequency converter stations, power quality systems, ABB AbilityTMnetwork management systems, energy recuperation and energy storage systems, system studies and dynamic traction power supply simulations based on powerful software tools.