Traction power network

A traction power network is a electricity grid for the supply of electric trains. The installation of separate traction power network is meaningful as a rule only if the railway company run with AC of decreased frequency, like in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Alternatively the three-phase alternating current of the power grid can converted in the the substations of the railway by rotary transformers or static inverters into the voltage and type of current required for the supply of the railway. At railways, which run with direct current, this method is always used. Also at railways, which run with single phase AC current of decreased frequency, this is done in Mecklenburg Vorpomern, Saxonia-Anhalt, Norway and Sweden. In these areas there are no traction current lines.

Couriously it is mentioned that also the Mariazeller Bahn, which runs with single phase AC with a frequency of 25 cycles, has its own traction power network.

Areas with traction power networks

• Germany( besides Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Sachsen-Anhalt), total length 7959 km
• Switzerland
• Austria (Separate Traction power network for Mariazellerbahn)
• USA ( in the area of New York an Washington DC for railway lines running with single phase AC of 25 Hertz)