Lightning Protection for Railway Systems

Lightning protection for Japan's railroads for half a century

Railroads are an indispensable means of transportation in our daily lives, as they can move a large number of people and goods in a short period of time. OTOWA has been providing lightning protection for railroads in Japan for half a century. In particular, railroads are outdoors and are easily affected by lightning surges due to the vast traffic network, making them one of the facilities where lightning countermeasures are always essential.

Dangers if no measures are taken

Problems with equipment caused by lightning surges can interfere with operations.

Lightning protection points for Lightning Protection for Railway Systems

Countermeasure points: A rolling stock lightning arrester is installed in a railroad vehicle. Since electricity is supplied from the pantograph on the train, the lightning arrester for the train is installed next to the pantograph. To prevent damage to the insulators by flying objects, most of the lightning arresters are housed in metal cases. In the case of the Shinkansen, the lightning arresters for the cars are stored under the floor. To reduce the weight of the lightning arresters for Shinkansen trains, the outer skin is made of polymer.

The 1500V train line surge arresters are installed on the power lines, and the 6.6kV distribution surge arresters are installed on the distribution lines. Life limiters and LA connectors are installed as accessory equipment for each surge arrester. The LA connector is ideal for connecting the surge arrestor to the wiring. We also offer a variety of other lightning protection products, including arc horns with current limiting elements that prevent damage to insulators and wire breakage. We also provide lightning protection transformers for level crossing safety equipment according to your needs.
As with other buildings, lightning protection in stations is provided by SPDs (safety devices).