Upgrading and strengthening the rail infrastructure in Sweden and Norway with Hitachi Energy’s autotransformers
Customer Story | 4 min read
Sweden and Norway are expanding and upgrading their national railway systems as part of broader efforts to reduce emissions from transportation and shift toward more sustainable mobility. Rail already accounts for a significant share of freight and passenger movement in both countries and plays a key role in supporting national and European climate targets.
In this context, reliable access to power across the rail network becomes essential. To support this transition, the Swedish Transport Administration, Trafikverket, and the Norwegian infrastructure manager, Bane NOR, have signed an eight-year framework agreement with Hitachi Energy for the supply of more than 600 autotransformers. The agreement continues a successful long-term collaboration between the three parties that started already some 25 years ago, and represents an important step in enabling both countries to expand capacity and improve the energy efficiency of their railway infrastructure.
Challenges
Expanding the rail system while ensuring power stability
As rail networks grow, one of the most critical aspects of enabling safe and efficient operations is ensuring a stable and reliable electricity supply. In Sweden and Norway, where rail plays an essential role in the movement of people and goods, the pressure on the electrical systems behind the network has increased. Modernization of power infrastructure, particularly the replacement and upgrade of older transformers, is crucial to support higher loads and longer distances.
At the same time, the European energy transition has led to increased demand for grid equipment, including transformers, creating concerns about long-term supply availability. In this environment, securing a reliable partner with the technical expertise, manufacturing, and service capacity to support rail electrification over time becomes a strategic necessity.
Hitachi Energy’s Solution
A long-term partnership for rail electrification
To meet this need, Trafikverket and Bane NOR have signed a new joint framework agreement with Hitachi Energy, building on a previous six-year collaboration. Under this new agreement, Hitachi Energy will deliver more than 600 single-phase Rail Feeder Autotransformers 33 to 16.5 kV, ranging from 3 to 10 MVA, that will be used to supply power across the expanding railway network. The transformers will be manufactured at Hitachi Energy’s factory in Vaasa, Finland—one of the sites with a strong track record in delivering high-quality equipment for railway applications.
The autotransformer technology selected for the project supports better voltage control and higher power handling compared to traditional booster transformers, making it particularly suited for long-distance and high-traffic routes. Hitachi Energy’s experience in rail electrification, combined with local production capabilities, helps ensure both the technical quality of the solution and its timely delivery.
Photo credit: Bane NOR
Benefits
Supporting capacity growth and climate goals
The transformers provided under this agreement are central to the broader modernization effort. By improving the efficiency of power delivery, they help reduce overall energy consumption and enable more trains to run reliably on the same infrastructure. This contributes to increased capacity and better service for passengers and freight operators alike.
The use of autotransformers also supports the long-term sustainability goals of both countries by minimizing transmission losses and improving the overall energy performance of the network. Alongside supplying the units, Hitachi Energy will also provide the sustainability and environmental product declarations, granting transparent, verified data on the environmental impacts of those units. Those declarations will enable a more sustainable decision-making across the product life cycle.
In a time when global demand for electrical equipment is placing pressure on supply chains, the long-term nature of this agreement gives both Trafikverket and Bane NOR the assurance of continued access to the critical assets they need to build the railway systems of the future.
Hitachi Energy’s role in this project reflects its commitment to supporting national and regional efforts to decarbonize transport. The company’s contribution, rooted in technical expertise, proven manufacturing and service capacity, and a shared vision for a more sustainable future, helps enable the larger transformation underway in the Scandinavian railway system.