A protection system for an electrical power line system of the type comprising radially connected power line sections (L1, L21, L22, L31, etc.), wherein a first electrically upstream one of the line sections (L1) is connectable to a power source (S). The protection system comprises at least one relay installed at or near at least the upstream end of each line section to protect that line section, each relay (R1, R21, R22, etc./ R1', R21', R22', etc.) having an associated circuit breaker (B1, B21, B22, etc./ B1' B21', B22', etc). The relays are provided with a first set of accelerated overcurrent functions (AOC) and a second set of under-current/under-voltage functions (UCV), the relays being directional and the first and second sets of functions being time graded in reverse to each other. The first and second sets of functions are distributed amongst the relays such that if an under-current/under-voltage function (UCV) in a second relay (R1') located downstream of a first relay (R1) triggers operation of a circuit breaker (B1') associated with the second relay, an accelerated overcurrent function (AOC) in the first relay (R1) triggers accelerated operation of a circuit breaker (B1) associated with the first relay, thereby to isolate from the power source (S) the line section (L1) that the first relay protects.