The paper aimed to simulate the transient over-voltage phenomena which occur at 345 kV and 161 kV underground cables, when lighting strikes on or near the cable connection station, by using the Electro-Magnetic Transients Program (EMTP). A feasibility study on changing related parameters, as well as cable connections and grounding methods to reduce the impact caused by lightning strikes, will be thoroughly conducted. The various components required for a detailed simulation including; lightning surges, transmission line and tower, arrester, and underground cables are all considered. Then, the transient voltage of the cables will be analyzed under different situations including; connection methods, grounding locations, length of the grounding wire of arrester, and the grounding resistance for different locations. The simulation results show that the length of the grounding wire is more sensitive to the transient over-voltage which occurred when a common grounding topology was adopted. In contrast, the use of an independent grounding topology resulted in a reduction of the grounding resistance, which effectively decreased the over-voltage, thereby avoiding surpassing the shielding voltage level of the cable, caused by the rise of ground voltage. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.