Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
ABB
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
==Former divisions== === Power Grids === The Power Grids business area offered components for the [[Electric power transmission|transmission]] and [[Electric power distribution|distribution]] of electricity, and incorporated ABB's manufacturing network for [[transformer]]s, [[switchgear]], [[circuit breaker]]s, and associated high voltage equipment such as [[Numerical relay|digital protective relays]]. It also offered maintenance services.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} A key part of Power Grids' offering were [[turnkey]] systems and service for power transmission and distribution grids and for [[Power station|power plants]]; this included [[electrical substation]]s and substation automation systems, [[flexible AC transmission system]]s (FACTS), [[high-voltage direct current|high-voltage direct current (HVDC)]] systems, and network management systems. The division was subdivided into the four business units High Voltage Products, Transformers, Grid Automation and Grid Integration.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} In 2010, ABB's North American headquarters in [[Cary, North Carolina]], announced a new partnership with Sensus of [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], to develop technologies to work together on smart grids.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96626097/abb/ |title = ABB, Sensus Form Smart-Grid Team |work= The News and Observer |date = 24 March 2010 |pages = B4 |access-date = 28 February 2022 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> During 2014, ABB formed a joint venture with [[Hitachi]] to provide HVDC system solutions in Japan.<ref>{{Cite news |title= ABB, Hitachi to tie up for HVDC power grid in Japan |work= The Economic Times |url= https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/electronics/abb-hitachi-to-tie-up-for-hvdc-power-grid-in-japan/articleshow/45533693.cms |access-date= 14 February 2022}}</ref> In December 2018, ABB and Hitachi announced that the latter would take over ABB's entire Power Grids division in exchange for roughly $6.4 billion. Hitachi officially acquired 80.1% of the business in July 2020. Initially known as ''Hitachi ABB Power Grids'', the new Hitachi subsidiary was rebranded as [[Hitachi Energy]] in October 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last= Ross |first= Kelvin |date= 13 October 2021 |title= Hitachi ABB Power Grids rebrands to Hitachi Energy |url= https://www.powerengineeringint.com/renewables/strategic-development/hitachi-abb-power-grids-rebrands-to-hitachi-energy/ |access-date= 14 February 2022 |website= Power Engineering International |language= en-US}}</ref> The transaction was one of Hitachi's biggest-ever deals, as it shifted focus to a higher-growth market for electricity networks.<ref>{{cite web |title= ABB: Shaping a leader focused in digital industries |url= https://new.abb.com/news/detail/12473/abb-shaping-a-leader-focused-in-digital-industries |access-date= 17 December 2018 |website= ABB Ltd}}</ref> Hitachi acquired the remainder of the company from ABB in 2022. In July 2021, ABB confirmed the sale of its mechanical power transmission business, Dodge, to American company RBC Bearings Incorporated for $2.9bn.<ref>{{cite web |date=2021-07-26 |title=ABB to divest Mechanical Power Transmission division (Dodge) to RBC Bearings for $2.9 billion |website=ABB |url=https://new.abb.com/news/detail/80844/abb-to-divest-mechanical-power-transmission-division-dodge-to-rbc-bearings-for-29-billion}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ABB: volting ambition bearing fruit in disposals |url=https://www.ft.com/content/67e52701-d04f-43b0-afee-b4440825d70b |website=Financial Times |date=26 July 2021}}</ref> === Rolling stock manufacturing === [[File:Saas im Prättigau - Rhaetian Railway (15760939974).jpg|thumb|Train in [[Swiss Alps]] equipped with ABB technology.]] ABB Group entered the [[Passenger rail terminology|heavy rail]] [[rolling stock]] manufacturing market in 1989 through a 40% shareholding in a consortium, headed with [[Trafalgar House (company)|Trafalgar House]] and some former [[British Rail]] employees, that purchased [[British Rail Engineering Limited]] (BREL), the formerly state-owned manufacturing arm of [[British Rail]]. BREL was the first division of British Rail to be privatised as part of a phased plan initiated by the [[third Thatcher ministry]]. ABB took over two rolling stock manufacturing facilities from BREL; the [[Derby Litchurch Lane Works]] and [[Holgate Road carriage works, York|York Carriage Works]].<ref>{{cite journal |title = The Restructuring and Privatisation of British Rail: Was It Really That Bad? |first1 = Michael G. |last1 = Pollitt |first2 = Andrew S. J. |last2 = Smith |journal = Fiscal Studies |volume = 23 |number = 4 |date = December 2002 |pages = 463–502|doi = 10.1111/j.1475-5890.2002.tb00069.x |jstor = 24438307 |url = https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/297 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Buyer for BREL |magazine= [[The Railway Magazine]] |issue= 1055 |date= March 1989 |page= 143}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= BREL acquisition completed |magazine= [[The Railway Magazine]] |issue= 1058 |date= June 1989 |page= 369}}</ref> Additionally, ABB took over [[Crewe Works]] in a purely maintenance capacity. During September 1992, ABB Group purchased the stakes of the other members of the consortium to become the sole owner with the business rebranded ABB Transportation.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= For BREL, read ABB |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue= 183 |date= 16 September 1992 |page= 5}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title= BREL becomes ABB Transportation Ltd |magazine= [[The Railway Magazine]] |issue= 1099 |date= November 1992 |page= 13}}</ref> The first trains produced at either facility under ABB ownership were for an order for 22 three-carriage [[British Rail Class 320|Class 320]] [[electric multiple unit]]s, built at ABB York for [[Glasgow]]'s suburban railways in 1990.<ref>{{cite book |last= Butcher |first= Roger |title= Departmental Coaching Stock |edition= 5th |date= November 1993 |publisher= South Coast Transport Publishing |location= Southampton, UK |isbn= 1-872768-10-5 |page= 70 }}</ref> That same year, ABB York finished an order for five similar four-car [[British Rail Class 322|Class 322]] units for the new [[Stansted Express]] service.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= New line for Stansted makes progress |magazine= [[Rail Magazine]] |issue= 78 |date= March 1988 |page= 15}}</ref> Between 1990 and 1991, ABB York built 24 two-car [[British Rail Class 456|Class 456]] [[third rail]] trains for [[Network SouthEast]] services out of [[London Waterloo station|London Waterloo]]. A further order for 97 four-car [[British Rail Class 465|Class 465]] units was completed at ABB York for [[Network SouthEast]] services in and around [[Kent]] between 1991 and 1994.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Networker 465: Dawn of a New Era Of Trains |magazine= [[The Railway Magazine]] |issue= 1090 |date= February 1992 |page= 18}}</ref> Numerous [[diesel multiple unit]]s were also built at ABB York, including 76 [[British Rail Class 165|Class 165]] suburban units for [[Chiltern Main Line]] and [[Great Western Main Line]] commuter services between 1990 and 1992, followed by 21 [[British Rail Class 166|Class 166]] three-car express units for longer-distance services out of [[London Paddington station|London Paddington]].<ref>{{cite book |last1= Webster |first1= Neil |last2= Hall |first2= Peter |last3= Fox |first3= Peter |title= British Railways Locomotives & Coaching Stock 2001 |year= 2001 |publisher= Platform 5 Publishing |location= Sheffield, UK |isbn= 1-902336-19-4 |pages= 207, 208 }}</ref> After initially focusing its resources on rolling stock refurbishment, the first new trains to roll off the production line at ABB Derby were the ten two-car [[British Rail Class 482|Class 482]] trains, built for the [[Waterloo & City line]] while it was still under the control of Network SouthEast (since transferred to the [[London Underground]]).<ref>{{cite book |last= Hardy |first= Brian |title= London Underground Rolling Stock |edition= 15th |year= 2002 |orig-date= 1976 |publisher= Capital Transport |location= Harrow Weald, UK |isbn= 1-85414-263-1 |pages= 27–28 }}</ref> In 1995, ABB Derby built 16 four-car [[British Rail Class 325|Class 325]] electric [[Multiple unit|freight multiple units]] for the [[Royal Mail]] to replace their ageing fleet of parcels carriages.<ref name = "railmag">{{cite magazine |url = https://www.railmagazine.com/operations/franchises/mail-by-rail-still |title = Mail by rail - still |magazine=Rail Magazine |first = Stefanie |last = Foster |date = 5 February 2014}}</ref> During the mid-1990s, in a bid to expand their international portfolio, both the Derby and York plants completed a number of [[Socimi Eurotram|ABB Eurotram]] [[light rail]] vehicles for the [[Strasbourg tramway]] in [[France]].<ref>{{citation |last= Wansbeek |first= C.J. |title= Strasbourg: Interurban tram strategy strengthens city system |journal= [[Tramways & Urban Transit]] |date=March 2003 |url= http://www.lrta.info/articles/art0303.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720114224/http://lrta.info/articles/art0303.html |archive-date= 20 July 2011}}</ref> Around the same time, in a further diversification, ABB partnered with [[Brush Traction]] to construct the fleet of 46 [[British Rail Class 92|Class 92]] electric locomotives for hauling freight trains through the [[Channel Tunnel]]; ABB were involved in the design and construction of many components including the traction motors, while final assembly took place at Brush Works in [[Loughborough]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Class 92s start work on WCML 'Enterprise' trains |magazine= [[RAIL (magazine)|RAIL]] |issue= 332 |publisher= EMAP Apex Publications |date= 3–16 June 1998 |page= 46 |issn= 0953-4563 |oclc= 49953699}}</ref> The last trains to roll off the production line at ABB York were an order for 41 four-carriage [[British Rail Class 365|Class 365]] electric multiple units for [[Connex South Eastern]] and [[West Anglia Great Northern]] services between 1994 and 1995. Following the [[privatisation of British Rail]], ABB encountered a decline in train orders, largely due to increased competition from competing manufacturers and no longer having a monopoly on rolling stock production in the British market. Thus the business was rationalised; ABB York was closed in 1996 (it would later be reopened as a rail wagon manufacturing centre by the [[Thrall Car Manufacturing Company]]) and all manufacturing activity was relocated to ABB Derby, the operation of which was transferred to the [[Adtranz]] joint venture between ABB and [[Mercedes-Benz Group#DaimlerChrysler AG (1998–2007)|DaimlerChrysler]] in 1996.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}} During 1997, Adtranz unveiled the [[British Rail Class 168|Class 168]] train for [[Chiltern Railways]].<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/jan/30/life1.lifemagazine3 |title = Class of 168 |work = The Guardian |date = 30 January 2000}}</ref> The design of the Class 168 would subsequently be further developed into the [[Bombardier Turbostar|Turbostar]] and [[Bombardier Electrostar|Electrostar]] families of trains, which in turn became the most successful rolling stock design on post-privatisation British railways by number of units sold. During 1999, ABB sold its 50% stake in Adtranz to Daimler for $472 million, thus exiting the rolling stock manufacturing sector.<ref>{{Cite press release |title= DaimlerChrysler buys ABB's share in Adtranz |website= ABB Ltd |url= https://new.abb.com/news/detail/13501/daimlerchrysler-buys-abbs-share-in-adtranz |date= 20 January 1999}}</ref> Shortly thereafter, Daimler sold the Adtranz unit to [[Bombardier Transportation]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Bombardier agrees to buy Adtranz |magazine= [[Railway Gazette International]] |issue= September 2000 |page= 601}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date= September 2000 |title= Bombardier gets Adtranz for a "bargain" |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65805853.html |journal= Railway Age |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150329112308/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-65805853.html |archive-date= 29 March 2015}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)