Preventing Signal Failures as High-Power Data Centers Reshape Transmission Networks

Artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and high-performance computing are driving unprecedented demand for data center infrastructure. Developers often build these facilities near existing transmission and rail corridors to accelerate construction. But while this proximity offers speed and convenience, it also creates new electromagnetic challenges for utilities and railroads.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) have become critical engineering concerns, especially as power levels climb to meet modern digital demands.

“If not mitigated, the consequences can be fatal,” EMA Senior Scientist Casey Peirano said.

This article explains:

• Why data center growth is increasing EMI risks
• How electromagnetic fields disrupt railroad signals and crossings
• How early simulation prevents failures and costly retrofits
• Why on-site measurements are essential for accurate mitigation

The Growing EMC Challenge

Peirano notes a major uptick in utility and rail permits driven by data centers and battery plants.

“The future infrastructure boom is already here,” he said.

A single AI-focused hyperscale data center can consume between 480,000 and 2.4 million kWh per day, equivalent to the energy footprint of more than 100,000 households. As demand increases, utilities upgrade lines and substations, not just for capacity, but also to manage stronger electromagnetic fields.

These expanded magnetic fields can induce unwanted voltages in nearby rail infrastructure. Even modest voltages, as low as 25-50 volts, can disrupt sensitive signaling systems. Peirano has seen this firsthand.

“One upgraded power line created so much induced current that you could literally run a drill off the rail,” he exclaimed.

Because of this, transmission upgrades must be coordinated with railroads to ensure proper separation, grounding, and shielding.

Fig. 1. An example of a power line fault, a direct short to ground occurs between a power/transmission line and a tower. This can cause in excess of 30,000A to be dumped into the structure to ground until the fault is cleared which can be as long as a minute

Real-World EMI Incidents

Railroads across the U.S. and Canada have reported signal failure linked to new or upgraded transmission lines.

“When utilities don’t coordinate with the railroad, the impacts show up fast. Sometimes in ways that create serious public safety risks,” Peirano said.

He describes one corridor where increased loading on a parallel transmission line induced current into the rails and signaling circuits. A nearby highway crossing gate began activating about 60 times per hour, even with no train approaching. Drivers, assuming the system was malfunctioning, began navigating around the gates, creating a serious public safety risk. Engineers eventually traced the issue to inductive coupling and worked with the utility to correct it.

How EMI Affects Rail and Utility Systems

Fig. 2. Electromagnetic interference affecting railroad track circuits: magnetic induction from energized transmission lines (left) and earth conduction through tower footings and shield wires (right)

Three major coupling mechanisms explain how nearby power lines interfere with railroad equipment:

• Inductive Interference: AC magnetic fields induce voltages in nearby rails and cables. (Fig. 2 left)
• Capacitive Coupling: High-voltage electric fields create noise or unexpected voltages.
• Ground Potential Rise: Fault currents raise local ground voltage, producing hazardous differences between structures and systems. (Fig. 2 right)

Understanding these mechanisms is essential for protecting signaling, communication networks, and personnel.

Modeling for Safety in a High-Voltage World

Fig. 3. Model of electromagnetic coupling between transmission lines and railroad infrastructure, showing counterpoise configurations, tower bonding variations, and current flow paths through the ground plane, soil, poles, and rails

The most effective way to identify potential EMI is through electromagnetic simulation. Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc. (EMA) developed Ansys EMC Plus to model how magnetic fields, fault currents, and electrical imbalances interact with rails, ballast, soil, and nearby transmission lines. Using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) solver, engineers ‘turn on’ the modeled power line to observe the electromagnetic behavior.

EMC Plus evaluates two key scenarios:

• Steady-State Operation: During everyday 60 Hz operation, transmission lines generate magnetic fields that can induce voltages depending on geometry, distance, soil conductivity, and load levels. Long parallel spans, sometimes up to three miles, produce the greatest induced voltages.
• Fault Conditions: During rare but severe events such as line collapses, fault currents can be enormous. These currents travel through soil and into rails, creating lethal shock risks. Engineers evaluate touch voltages, which must remain under 650 volts for safety.

With simulation, engineers can identify:

• Whether induced voltages exceed AREMA safety thresholds
• Whether train detection or gate systems might misbehave
• Whether signal huts face damaging overvoltage risks
• Where ‘hot spots’ occur along long parallel spans
• Which design elements require mitigation

Fig. 4. A simulation model displayed in Ansys EMC Plus illustrates electromagnetic interactions along a rail corridor, helping analyze how nearby power lines can induce interference in railroad signaling systems

EMC Plus can simulate more than 10 miles of track in a single run, reducing what once took a year to about 14 hours on a single GPU, or half that on two GPUs. EMA is part of the NVIDIA Inception program to accelerate simulation performance.

Why Simulation Should Happen Early

Early modeling provides:

• Reduced project risk through early identification of interference vulnerabilities
• Fewer costly construction modifications and field retrofits
• Improved reliability and electromagnetic robustness of equipment and critical systems
• Enhanced personnel safety through better prediction of exposure levels
• Faster and smoother regulatory approval supported by defensible analysis
• Lower lifecycle and maintenance costs due to optimized designs and fewer operational disruptions

Rather than a guess, simulation delivers engineering certainty.

The Role of On-Site Measurements

Fig. 5. Setup and measurement of soil resistivity and ground resistance using spaced potential and current electrodes (left) and a ground resistance tester indicating resistivity and resistance values (right)

Simulation becomes truly powerful when combined with real-world measurements. EMA teams capture:

• Insulating joint, rail-to-ground, and rail-to-rail voltages
• Soil resistivity and ground behavior
• Tower grounding and corridor geometry
• Line loading under normal, emergency, and fault conditions
• Actual track circuit and protection device response

These measurements anchor models, allowing engineers to design targeted mitigations from grounding improvements to custom protection devices.

Strengthening EMC for a Rapidly Evolving Infrastructure Landscape

The rapid expansion of AI, cloud facilities, battery storage, renewable energy, and high voltage transmission is reshaping the electrical environment.

“Thousands of installations coexist with our railroads, some dating back to the post-Civil War era,” Peirano said. “But today’s technology demands a whole new level of vigilance.”

For more than three decades, EMA has helped major railroads and utilities diagnose and solve EMI challenges through a unique combination of modeling and field measurement.

Learn more in the EMA Expo 2026 session “Dangers of Co-Located Railroads and Power Lines: Booming Tech Hub Growth, Rising Railroad Risks.” You can watch it on demand here.

Contact EMA now for:

• EMI/EMC risk evaluations
• Simulation demos
• Early-stage corridor modeling
• On-site measurement services
• Regulatory support

If your projects involve data centers, rail corridors, transmission lines, or any infrastructure sensitive to electromagnetic effects, now is the time to engage EMA to evaluate risks early, resolve interference challenges effectively, and strengthen the reliability of critical systems.