SWITCHING APPARATUS

There is provided a switching apparatus (30,130) comprising: first and second nodes (32,34) operably connectable to a line voltage (44); first and second switching branches (38,40) connected in parallel between the first and second nodes (32,34), the first switching branch (38) including at least one first switching element (46,60); and the second switching branch (40) including a pair of switching assemblies connected in series between the first and second nodes (32,34), the second switching branch (40) further including a junction (48) between the pair of switching assemblies, each switching assembly including at leastone second switching element (50), at least one of the switching assemblies further including at least one impedance element (52), wherein the switching apparatus (30,130) further includes a shunt impedance (42) and a third node (36), the shunt impedance (42) arranged to form a permanent electrical connection between the junction (48) and the third node (36), the third node (36) operably connectable to a voltage that is different in magnitude to the line voltage (44), the or each impedance element (52) arranged in the corresponding switching assembly to combine with the shunt impedance (36) so as to define a current path which extends between the corresponding first or second node (32,34) and the third node (36).