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Safe seals for Sydney’s rail substations

Safe seals for Sydney’s rail substations

The rail network in Sydney, Australia, is being upgraded with new electrical infrastructure. The owners specified Roxtec sealing solutions for new and existing traction power substations.

Transport system developer Transport for NSW and rail operator Sydney Trains are implementing the Power Supply Upgrade Program to make sure the new fleet of air-conditioned trains are properly powered, operational reliability is improved, and the risk of disruptions is reduced. Their specification of seals is based on Roxtec's ability to act as a partner in large projects and to create customized cable transits with combined fire and water ingress protection capabilities.

Needed better sealing

Contractors had previously tried to seal the entries for the 38mm cables in the substations by using fire rated cement products and fire pillows. All substations must however have both certified firestop and IP rated barriers against rain and moisture. A water leak can damage transformers and switchgear and cause disruption, delayed trains and safety risks.

Extensive support

Roxtec supported all companies involved from the early design phase for new-build projects through to retrofit work on existing traction power substations. The Roxtec design team made customized transits according to specific requirements – the Roxtec GH in stainless steel with extend flanges and the openable Roxtec GOH for substations with cables already routed. Ten varieties of openings were covered with one ingenious asymmetric transit frame design.

With seals on both the inside and the outside, we were able to meet fire protection demands without using insulation
Jörgen Landqvist, senior design engineer at Roxtec.

Flexible for future needs

With one solution from Roxtec, Transport for NSW was able to secure the substations against multiple hazards of fire and water ingress, while ensuring cable retention. They will also benefit from the built-in spare capacity for years to come. Roxtec future-proof transits can be opened for changes or additional cables throughout the lifecycle of the substation – which is hardly the case if you use cement.

Why Roxtec?

  • Certified protection against fire and water

  • Proven cable retention capabilities

  • Customized solutions for specific design challenges

  • Openable solutions for efficient retrofit

  • Built-in spare capacity for future upgrades

Project facts

Project description

Power Supply Upgrade Program for Sydney’s rail network in New South Wales, Australia

Involved companies

Owners: Transport for NSW and Sydney Trains. Design and engineering: AECOM, BECA and others. Contractors and installers: Downer Group, RCR Tomilison, Abergeldie, Zinfra and others

Applications

Sealing of rectifier cable entries in new and existing traction power substations

Sealing requirements

Fire rating 2 hours,
IP 65 rating,
Cable retention,
Spare capacity