Digital substations simplify traction power control

Advances in protection and control technology used for high-voltage transmission lines can provide benefits to railway electrification systems, as a result of the adoption of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for digital control architectures. Electric traction in the form of overhead electrification can offer many advantages, such as higher speeds, reduced pollution, improved efficiency through regeneration and the ability to harness renewable energy sources. But as not all railways are the same, there need to be standards for widespread use. The digital control system, which used to use many different protocols, can now be integrated with a simplified user interface.