Ansaldo STS Australia
Ansaldo STS Australia Pty Ltd
11 Viola Place, Eagle Farm, Brisbane QLD 4009 - Australia
Press Office
Phone +61 7 3868 9333 - Fax +61 7 3268 2136
A Finmeccanica Company
Ansaldo STS is listed on the Milan Stock Exchange. It is a leading technology company operating in the global Railway & Mass Transit Transportation business with the provision of traffic management,
planning, train control and signalling systems and services. It acts as lead contractor and turnkey provider on major projects worldwide. Ansaldo STS is headquartered in Genoa, Italy and employs over
4,200 people in 28 countries. In 2008, its revenues reached
1.106 M, with a gross operating margin of
118 M and net profits of
77.6 M.
22 June 2009
Overhead Lines to become a thing of the past with new Catenary-Free Power Supply
System for Trams
A new ground-level power supply system that feeds electrical current to tramlines safely and
efficiently without using catenaries or batteries and without creating traffic barriers has been
launched by Ansaldo STS.
The new ‘Tramwave’ system completely eliminates the need for traditional overhead lines
because power is provided through a contact line that activates a small section of the line only
as the tram passes over it.
Significantly, ‘Tramwave’ is extremely flexible and can be integrated into virtually any kind of
tram, regardless of the supplier. This means that it can be smoothly and seamlessly
introduced into existing fleets, facilitating the replacement of catenaries in historical locations.
Additionally ‘Tramwave’ can be used without any modification for multi-modal use, such as
allowing the power line to be shared with rubber tyred electric vehicles.
‘Tramwave’ enables operators to dispense with on-board power storage systems for vehicle
control and avoids the possibility of stray current by using traction return current independent
of the rails.
It ensures safety and operability under all working conditions and enables easy insertion of the
power line between the rail tracks of a new or existing tram line, positioned at the same level
as the rail head.
Based on proven and tested core technology, ‘Tramwave’ is already in wide use on the
AnsaldoBreda manufactured Sirio trams.
Media Contact: Anne Richardson, tel. +61 438 626 909 richardson.anne@ansaldo-sts.com.au
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