Lightning protection systems have been installed on transmission lines (TL), but lightning still causes a considerable number of failures. In this regard, new lightning protection solutions are necessary for TL in order to reduce power outages caused by lightning. In this paper, a method is presented to improve the lightning protection performance of TL through the use of line surge arresters (LSAs) and underbuilt ground wiring (UGW), as well as to reduce both overhead TL outage rates and LSA numbers. Research results show that using LSA and UGW on 220 kV overhead power lines can provide greater lightning protection. By adding only one UGW, the coupling factor increases to 70%, so the voltage on the insulator is reduced when lightning strikes the tower. Combined with one UGW on the 220 kV overhead power line with low grounding resistance, installing one LSA at the top phase has better lightning protection than installing two LSAs. It is particularly useful for TL management companies to improve lightning protection using the results. The electromagnetic transients in this study were simulated using EMTP/ATP.