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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 8 (November 2, 1936)

The Growth of Electrification

The Growth of Electrification.

Electrification of the Southern Railway London-Portsmouth tracks is making rapid progress, and it seems likely that this important work will be completed well ahead of scheduled time—July, 1937. The Southern Railway have reaped a rich harvest as a result of their progressive electrification policy. Between London and Brighton and other south coast resorts, electrification has been the means of retaining to rail an immense volume of passenger traffic which, under steam working, was fast being lost to the roads.

Very striking is the progress of electrification throughout Europe. In a recent paper read by Mr. E. R. Kaan, chief electrical engineer of the Austrian Federal Railways, before the Institution of Electrical Engineers, London, we learnt much of electrification's growth. Switzerland, it was pointed out, has made more progress with electric traction than any other European land. Some 75 per cent. of the Swiss Federal Railways system is now electrified, corresponding to about 92.5 per cent.
Beardmore Diesel-Electric Train, Pamplona-San Sebastian Railway, Spain.

Beardmore Diesel-Electric Train, Pamplona-San Sebastian Railway, Spain.

of the gross ton-miles to be hauled. By the end of the present year, Germany will have about 1,500 miles of electrified track. Like Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Sweden, the system Germany favours is the single-phase alternating current arrangement, with 15 k.v. at the overhead equipment, and 16 2/3 cycles.

Sweden actually possesses about 2,000 miles of electrified trunk routes. By June next, the Swedish State Railways will operate electrically 2,600 miles of track. France, Holland, Belgium, Hungary, Poland and Spain are other European countries where electrification is making progress.