SIGNAL+DRAHT | Issue 05/2018
30 years of overvoltage protection for Siemens signalling systems
The German Federal Railways and Siemens started developing overvoltage protection for signalling systems after the heavy damage sustained by the Railways in the Hanover region in 1981/1983 as a result of overvoltage caused by thunderstorms. This damage particularly affected marshalling yard technology which was equipped with electronic components. Thirty years on, we will now take a look back over the successful introduction of the overvoltage protection technology for signalling systems.