Title: ELECTRIFICATION OF THE TUMBLER RIDGE BRANCH LINE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Abstract: The North-East Coal Development and Transportation Project in British Columbia, Canada, is a major undertaking that is costing about $2.5 billion (1983 Canadian dollars). The exploration incorporates development of large coal and mineral resources in a completely unpopulated area, founding of a new townsite, and construction of a railway branch line with long tunnels through the Rocky Mountains to haul coal almost 1000 km to a newly constructed unloading facility on the Pacific Ocean at Prince Rupert. The electrification of the Tumbler Ridge Branch Line (TRBL) and its technological spinoffs are discussed in this paper. The transportation and energy-technical background is reviewed along with the considerations leading to use of a 50 kV overhead electrification system and thyristor controlled locomotives. The technical-economic benefits and the future outlook are discussed. British Columbia Railway Company is the first railroad to electrify a heavy-haul route in North America in the past 50 years. It has used and advanced the most modern technology available in the world. The TRBL project was completed in less than 3 years, ahead of schedule and below budget.
Publication Year: 1985
Publication Date: 1985-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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