Earthing & Bonding on the Underground

Electrical transportation systems by law are required to meet specific safety requirements, the regulations that must be conformed to include Health and Safety at Work 1974, Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, Construction Design Management Regs 1994, Railway Safety Case Regulations 1994, UK EMC Regulations 2005 Statutory Instrument 281, Physical Agents Directive 2008 Responsibility for regulation of safety in 2006 moved from the Health and Safety Executive to the Office of the Rail Regulator. The electrical earthing design for Metronet infrastructure was required to address the 9 lines operated by Metronet, additionally it had to address interfacing with third parties and other railway networks. Metronet was required to innovate a unique earthing process and engineering design solutions to ensure electrical, environmental and safety standards were maintained. Atkins was able to rise to this challenge and delivered an Earthing Management Plan and Earthing Code of Practice. The tools that were developed were designed to be applied across the whole of the Metronet Network. Metronet Victoria Line Upgrade (VLU) project has now applied this Management Process and Design Principles into all of the VLU Engineering Projects.