Direct Current Railway Electrification Course
Online course of 300 hours in DC Railway Electrification: 6 modules covering DC traction systems, rectifier substations, catenary and third rail, the return circuit and stray currents, and simulation and energy efficiency, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the architecture of DC traction systems.
Size rectifier substations.
Design contact lines, rigid overhead conductor rail and third rail.
Analyse the return circuit and mitigate stray currents.
Simulate traction networks with moving trains.
Apply energy efficiency and regeneration measures.
Design the DC electrification of a line.
Who it's for
- Railway electrification engineers.
- Substation engineers.
- Catenary maintenance technicians.
- Railway energy efficiency consultants.
- Traction systems engineers.
- Electrification site managers.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter railway infrastructure.
What you'll work with
- UNE-EN 50163 (railway applications: supply voltages of traction systems)
- UNE-EN 50122-2 (protective provisions against the effects of stray currents caused by DC traction systems)
- UNE-EN 50122-1 (protective provisions relating to electrical safety and earthing)
- UNE-EN 50119 (overhead contact lines for electric traction)
- UNE-EN 50388-1 (power supply and rolling stock: technical criteria for coordination)
- UNE-EN 50123 (DC switchgear for fixed installations)
- Regulation (EU) 1301/2014 (TSI energy)
- UNE-EN 50641 (requirements for the DC power supply of traction systems)
- OpenPowerNet
- ELBAS
- MATLAB/Simulink
- DIgSILENT PowerFactory
- ETAP
6 modules
1.1History of direct-current electrification1.2Standard voltages: 600, 750, 1500 and 3000 V1.3Applications: metro, tram and conventional network1.4General layout of the power supply system1.5Advantages and drawbacks compared with AC1.6The 3 kV network in Spain1.7Interaction with rolling stock1.8Voltage quality at the pantograph1.9Trends: higher voltages and energy storage1.10Case study: the 3 kV commuter rail network
2.1Transformers for rectifier units2.212- and 24-pulse diode rectifiers2.3Reversible rectifiers and regeneration2.4AC and DC switchgear2.5DC high-speed circuit breakers2.6Feeder protection2.7Harmonics injected into the grid2.8Remote control and SCADA of substations2.9Spacing between substations2.10Practical: sizing of a rectifier unit
3.13 kV catenary and its cross-section3.2Tram and metro catenary3.3Rigid overhead conductor rail in tunnels3.4Third rail and fourth rail3.5Contact wires and feeders3.6Sectioning and neutral sections3.7Pantograph-catenary interaction in DC3.8Installation and adjustment3.9Maintenance of the overhead line3.10Workshop: calculation of voltage drop along a catenary
4.1The rail as return conductor4.2Rail-to-earth insulation resistance4.3Stray currents and corrosion4.4Mitigation measures in the track4.5Cathodic protection of structures4.6Touch voltage and safety4.7Equipotential bonding and drainage connections4.8Measurement of stray currents4.9Interference with buried utilities4.10Case study: corrosion study in a metro
5.1Electrical simulation of the traction network5.2Load flow with moving trains5.3Regenerative braking and receptivity5.4Storage in batteries and supercapacitors5.5Reversible substations and inverters5.6Eco-driving techniques5.7Energy consumption indicators5.8Integration of renewables5.9On-board energy metering5.10Lab: simulation of a metro line with regeneration
6.1Definition of the line and traffic6.2Selection of the system voltage6.3Location of substations6.4Design of the contact line6.5Study of the return circuit6.6Electrical simulation of the network6.7Energy efficiency measures6.8Electrification budget6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it can be combined with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is OpenPowerNet, ELBAS, MATLAB/Simulink, DIgSILENT PowerFactory and ETAP, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Cases are studied on real procedures for electrical simulation of metro networks, stray current studies and sizing of rectifier substations. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrated project.
Standards covered: UNE-EN 50163; UNE-EN 50122-2; UNE-EN 50122-1; UNE-EN 50119; UNE-EN 50388-1; UNE-EN 50123; Regulation (EU) 1301/2014; UNE-EN 50641.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with OpenPowerNet, ELBAS, MATLAB/Simulink, DIgSILENT PowerFactory and ETAP, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required: you only need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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