- List of current systems for electric rail traction
-
This a list of the power supply systems that are, or have been, used for tramway and railway electrification systems.
Note that the voltages are nominal and vary depending on load and distance from the substation.
Many modern trams and trains use on-board solid-state electronics to convert these supplies to run three-phase AC induction motors.
Contents
Key to the tables below
- Current:
- DC = direct current
- xx Hz = frequency in hertz (alternating current (AC))
- AC supplies are single-phase, except where marked three-phase
- Conductors:
- overhead line or
- conductor rail, usually a third rail to one side of the running rails
- Conductor rail can be:
- top contact: oldest, least safe, affected by ice, snow and leaves
- side contact: newer, safer, less affected by ice, snow and leaves
- bottom contact: newer, safer, least affected by ice, snow and leaves
- Conductor rail can be:
Systems using standard voltages
See also: Railway electrification system#VoltageVoltages are defined by two standards: BS EN 50163 [1] and IEC 60850[2]
Overhead systems
500 V DC
Country Name of System Location Notes 
Hong KongHong Kong Tramways Hong Kong 550 V DC
Country Name of System Location Notes 
IndiaKolkata Trams Kolkata 600 V DC
This voltage is mostly used by older tram systems worldwide but by a few new ones as well.
750 V DC
This voltage is used for most modern tram systems.
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This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
1,500 V DC
3 kV DC
Country Name of System Location Note 
BelgiumBelgium National Railways (SNCB) 25 kV AC used on High Speed Lines. 
Brazil
CanadaDeux-Montagnes Line Montreal Built by CNoR in 1918, converted to 25 kV AC/60 Hz in 1995 by AMT. 
Chile
Czech RepublicCzech Railways (ČD) Northern lines only (around Prague, Most, Česká Třebová, Olomouc, Ostrava, along river Labe - Elbe) 
Estonia
ItalyRFI - Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (Italian Railways Network) 25 kV AC used on new High Speed Lines. 
LatviaLatvian Railways (LDz) Western lines only. 
LuxembourgChemins de fer luxembourgeois (CFL) The line between Luxembourg and Arlon 25 kV AC on the rest of the network. 
Morocco
North KoreaNational standard 
PolandPolish State Railways (PKP) Planned new High Speed Lines, including 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 5⁄6 in) Russian gauge, will use 25 kV AC 
Russian FederationRussian Railways (RZD) New electrification only 25 kV AC 
SlovakiaSlovak Republic Railways (ZSR) northern main line (connected to Czech Republic and Poland) and eastern lines (around Kosice and Presov), conversion to 25 kV AC planned, and the broad gauge line between Kosice and the Ukraine border (it will remain 3 kV until new broad gauge line construction, then convert to 25 kV AC), new broad gauge line will use 25 kV AC 
SloveniaSlovenian Railways (SZ) National standard 
South AfricaNational standard. Also 25 kV 
SpainSpanish National Railways (RENFE) 25 kV AC used on new High Speed Lines. 
UkraineUkrainian Railways In east (Donetsk industrial zone), in west (west from L'viv - connecting to Slovakia and Poland), to be converted to 25 kV AC[6] 
United StatesMorris & Essex Lines New Jersey, lines towards New York City By Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad in 1930.[7] Converted to 25 kV 60 Hz by NJT in 1984 15 kV AC, 16⅔ Hz (16.7 Hz)
Main article: 15 kV AC railway electrificationCountry Name of System Location Notes 
AustriaAustrian Federal Railways National Standard. Planned new High Speed Lines, including 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 5⁄6 in) Russian gauge, will use 25 kV AC 
GermanyGerman National Railways National Standard 
NorwayNorwegian National Rail Administration 
SwedenSwedish Transport Administration 
SwitzerlandSwiss Federal Railways Zentralbahn BLS Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn Zurich Sihtal branch only[8] 25 kV AC, 50 Hz
Main article: 25 kV AC railway electrificationCountry Name of System Location Notes 
ArgentinaFerrocarril General Roca Buenos Aires Partially electrified in the 1980s. Some suburban branches still operate with diesel locomotive-hauled trains. 
AustraliaQueensland Rail, Citytrain Brisbane, North Coast Line, Coalfields Queensland Transperth Perth Western Australia Adelaide Metro Adelaide South Australia. To be electrified 2009-2018. 
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BotswanaProposed line to Namibia 
Belarus BelgiumBelgium National Railways (NMBS/SNCB) High Speed Lines and some other lines The rest of the network is 3 kV DC — see Rail transport in Belgium 
BulgariaBulgarian State Railways BDZ 
China
Congo
CroatiaCroatian Railways (HŽ) Smaller part 3 kV DC, being replaced with 25 kV AC Czech RepublicČeské dráhy (ČD) Southern lines only. (Around: Karlovy Vary, Cheb, Plzeň, České Budějovice, Tábor, Jihlava, Brno) 
DenmarkBanedanmark See Rail transport in Denmark The vast majority of the Banedanmark network is not electrified. 
FinlandFinnish Railways (VR) National standard 
FranceFrench National Railways (SNCF) GermanyRübelandbahn Harz 
GreeceHellenic Railways Organisation (OSE) nationwide National standard. See Railways of Greece for details of progress. Hong Kong SARMass Transit Railway Corporation (East Rail Line) (West Rail Line) and (Ma On Shan Line) Hong Kong 
HungaryHungarian State Railways (MÁV) IndiaIndian Railways (IR) National standard, Large parts of Mumbai Division (Western and Central Railways) are 1500 V DC, but are being converted to 25 kV AC.[5] Delhi Metro Delhi 
IranUnder planning 
IsraelIsrael Railways In planning stage.[9] ItalyNew high-speed lines only. 
JapanJR East Tōhoku, Jōetsu, and Nagano Shinkansen 60 Hz in some areas, see 60 Hz overhead below.
Kazakhstan LatviaLatvian Railways (LDz) Eastern lines only. 
LithuaniaLithuanian Railways (LG) Naujoji Vilnia-Kaunas and Naujoji Vilnia-Trakai National standard, Rest of the Lituanian Railways network is not electrified. No plans to electrify further lines. LuxembourgChemins de fer luxembourgeois (CFL) National standard The line between Luxembourg and Arlon is electrified under 3KV DC. 
MacedoniaMacedonian Railways 
MalaysiaKTM Komuter Service 
MontenegroRailways of Montenegro Belgrade - Bar railway Podgorica - Nikšić line currently under electrification 
NamibiaProposed line to Botswana 
NetherlandsUsed on new High Speed Lines and Freight Lines 1.5 kV DC used on the rest of the network. 
New ZealandNorth Island Main Trunk Railway Central North Island section, 411 km between Palmerston North and Hamilton 
Pakistan PolandLinia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa To be electrified, 3 kV DC used on the rest of the network. 
PortugalPortuguese Railways (CP) 
RomaniaRomanian Railways (CFR) Russian FederationRussian Railways (RZD) National standard 
SerbiaSerbian Railways SlovakiaSlovak Republic Railways (ŽSR) South-western lines only (around Bratislava, Kuty, Trencin, Trnava, Nove Zamky, Zvolen) and the entire network (except narrow gauge lines) to follow SpainNew high-speed lines only. South AfricaTransnet 
ThailandSuvarnabhumi Airport Link Bangkok 
Turkey
UKNetwork Rail Except Southern region and Merseyside UkraineUkrainian Railways National standard, In most of the west; also 3000 V DC in east. 
Uzbekistan
ZimbabweNational Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) Gweru-Harare De-energised in 2008 25 kV AC, 60 Hz
Main article: 25 kV AC railway electrificationCountry Name of System Location Notes CanadaDeux-Montagnes Line Montreal Built by CNoR in 1918 as 3000 V DC, converted to 25 kV AC/60 Hz in 1995 by AMT. JapanTōkaidō-Sanyō Shinkansen
Nagano Shinkansen
Kyushu ShinkansenWestern Japan, Central Japan, Eastern Japan, JR Kyushu 50 Hz in eastern Japan, see 25 kV AC 50 Hz overhead above. JR Central Central Japan JR West Western Japan 
MexicoFerrocarril Suburbano de la Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México Mexico City [10] PakistanPakistan Railways National standard 
South KoreaKorail South Korea All Korail freight/passenger lines except Seoul subway Line 3 (see 1500 V DC overhead above) A'REX Incheon, Seoul United StatesMorris & Essex Lines and North Jersey Coast Line of New Jersey Transit New Jersey North Jersey Coast Line-only between Aberdeen-Matawan and Long Branch. Ex 3 kV DC lines, converted in 1984 and an extension of Pennsylvania Railroad 11 kV 25 Hz AC line Northeast Corridor (NEC), Amtrak New Haven to Boston in 2000. See Amtrak's 60 Hz Traction Power System 50 kV AC, 50 Hz
Country Name of System Location Notes South AfricaSishen–Saldanha railway line Northern Cape, Western Cape Opened in 1976 and hauls iron ore. 50 kV AC, 60 Hz
Country Name of System Location Notes United StatesBlack Mesa and Lake Powell Railroad Arizona First line to use 50 kV electrification when it opened in 1973. This is an isolated coal-hauling short line. CanadaTumbler Ridge Subdivision of BC Rail (Now Canadian National Railway) British Columbia Opened in 1983 to serve a coal mine in the northern Rocky Mountains. No longer in use. Conductor rail systems
600 V DC
All third rail unless stated otherwise.
Used by most older US subways.Using this type of electrification No longer using this type of electrification Type Country Name of System Location Notes Top Contact ArgentinaUrquiza Line Buenos Aires Top Contact CanadaToronto Subway and Rapid Transit Toronto Only on subway lines Top Contact GreeceEIS/ISAP Athens Used between 1904 and 1985, now 750V ItalySuperga Rack Railway Turin Top Contact JapanTokyo Metro Ginza Line and Marunouchi Line Tokyo JapanNagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line and Meijō Line Nagoya, Aichi Top Contact SwedenStockholm Metro Stockholm 650V, Green and red line. United KingdomGlasgow Subway Glasgow United KingdomSouthern Railway Some areas up to 1939. Top Contact United StatesChicago Transit Authority Chicago Elevated and subway lines Top Contact United StatesMassachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Boston Red and Orange Lines, the subway part of the Blue Line southwest of Airport Station Top Contact United StatesNew York City Subway New York City Top Contact United StatesPATH New York City metro area Top Contact United StatesSoutheastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority Philadelphia Broad Street subway United StatesWalt Disney World Monorail System Bay Lake, Florida 750 V DC
All third rail unless stated otherwise.
Using this type of electrification No longer using this type of electrification Systems using non-standard voltages
Overhead systems
Voltage Current Name of System Location Country Notes 120 DC Seaton Tramway Seaton, Devon UK Half scale trams. Operated 1969-date 250 Chicago Tunnel Company Chicago USA Operated 1906-1959 500 Many tram systems 525 Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren Lauterbrunnen Switzerland 550 Manx Electric Railway Isle of Man UK including Snaefell Mountain Railway 650 Pittsburgh Light Rail Pittsburgh United States 900 Gruyere - Fribourg - Morat Fribourg Switzerland Montreux-Oberland Bernois Montreux 1,000 Rhätische Bahn (RhB) St Moritz - Tirano Budapest (HÉV) Budapest Hungary 1,100 Buenos Aires Metro (Subterráneos de Buenos Aires) Buenos Aires Argentina Only Line A (will be converted to 1,500 V DC if La Brugeoise trains were to be replaced by new rolling stock) 1,200 Barcelona Metro Barcelona Spain Uses an overhead conductor rail/beam system. Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn Zurich Switzerland Uetliberg branch only - uses an offset overhead line and pantograph to allow running on track shared with the AC-electrified Sihltal branch.[8] Sóller Railway Palma - Sóller, Majorca Spain [11] Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Cuba Havana - Matanzas and branches Cuba Originally (and still known as) the Hershey Electric Railway Lusatian Germany 900 mm (2 ft 11 1⁄2 in) gauge mining railways in the brown coal district Estonia (Elektriraudtee) 1924-1941 and 1946–1958 1,350 FART Domodossola-Locarno Italy - Switzerland 2,400 Lausitzer Germany Work line of the Lausitzer Brown Coal AG company. Chemin de fer de La Mure Grenoble France -1,200 V, +1,200 V two wire system from 1903-1950. 2,400 V since 1950.[12] 3,500 Bury - Holcombe Brook Manchester UK Operated 1913-1918. 5,500 16⅔ Hz Ammergau Railway (German: Ammergaubahn) Murnau Germany 1905–1955, after 1955 15 kV, 16.7 Hz 6,000 DC Russia Experiments in the late 1970s (3000 V lines) 6,000 50 Hz Germany Factory railway of Rheinbraun AG 6,250 Great Eastern suburban lines London United Kingdom Great Eastern suburban lines from Liverpool Street London, 1950s-c1980 (converted to 25 kV) 6,300 25 Hz Hamburg S-Bahn Hamburg Germany Operated with AC 1907-1955. Used both AC and DC (1,200 V 3rd rail) 1940-1955. 6,500 Mariazellerbahn Sankt Pölten Austria 6,600 Thamshavnbanen Orkdal Norway 6,600 50 Hz Hambachbahn and Nord-Süd-Bahn Cologne Lowland Germany Transports lignite from open-pit mines to powerplants. 8 kV 25 Hz Alb Valley Railway (German: Albtalbahn) Karlsruhe Germany 1911–1966, today using 750 V DC 10 kV Hofpleinlijn The Hague - Rotterdam Netherlands From 1908, in 1926 converted to 1,500 DC. In 2006, replaced by 750 V DC light rail 11 kV 16⅔ Hz Rhaetian Railway (RhB) Switzerland Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn (MGB) Formerly Furka-Oberalp-Bahn (FOB) and BVZ Zermatt-Bahn 50 Hz Mont Blanc Tramway France 12 kV 16⅔ Hz Chemin de fer du Midi lines in Pyrenees France most converted to 1,500 V 1922-23; Villefranche-Perpignan diesel 1971, then 1,500 V 1984 12.5 kV 25 Hz Northeast Corridor (NEC), Amtrak Washington, DC - New York City United States Keystone Corridor, Amtrak Harrisburg, PA to Philadelphia, PA SEPTA Philadelphia Regional Rail system only New Jersey Transit North Jersey Coast Line New Jersey Only between Rahway and Aberdeen-Matawan 60 Hz Metro-North Railroad Pelham, NY-New Haven, CT 20 kV 50 Hz Höllentalbahn Freiburg Germany Operated 1933-1960. Converted to 15kV 16 2/3 Hz. Société Nationale des Chemins de fer (SNCF) Aix-les-Bains - La Roche-sur-Foron France Operated 1950-1953. Converted to 25kV 50 Hz Most electrified JR/the third sector lines in Hokkaidō and Tōhoku JR East, JR Hokkaidō, and others. Japan 60 Hz Most electrified JR/the third sector lines in Kyūshū and Hokuriku region JR Kyūshū and others 50 kV 50 Hz Spoornet Sishen - Saldanha South Africa Iron ore line 60 Hz Black Mesa and Lake Powell Arizona USA Coal line Tumbler Ridge Subdivision, BC Rail [13] British Columbia Canada Coal and Timber in remote BC, from opening in 1983 until de-electrified 2000 using GMD GF6C. Conductor rail systems
Voltage Current Type Contact System Name of System Location Country Notes 50 DC See notes. Volk's Electric Railway Brighton UK Volk's Railway prior to 1884.
(Current fed through running rails)110 third rail Top contact The world's oldest operational electric railway[citation needed] 160 Top contact Volk's Railway between 1884 and 1980s 100 fourth rail Top contact Monorail at National Motor Museum Beaulieu UK Current fed by 2 contact wires 180 See notes. Siemens streetcar Berlin-Lichterfelde Germany Current fed through the running rails.
Operated 1881-1891.200 third rail Top contact Southend Pier Railway Southend UK Until 1902[14] 250 Hythe Pier Railway Hythe, Hampshire Morgan Rack Chicago Tunnel Company Chicago, Illinois USA 1904, revenue service 1906-1908. 400 Berchtesgaden Salt Mine Railway Berchtesgaden Germany 440 Top contact Post Office Railway London UK Disused since 2003.[15]
150 V is used in station areas to limit train speed.
550 Top contact Buenos Aires Metro (Subterráneos de Buenos Aires) Buenos Aires Argentina Only Line B 660 Top contact Southern Railway & LSWR UK Original standard, mostly upgraded to 750 V 660 third rail with fourth rail bonded to running rail Euston to Watford DC Line London To enable London Underground trains to operate between Queens Park and Harrow & Wealdstone. Similar bonding arrangements are used on the North London Line between Richmond and Gunnersbury and South West Trains Putney Bridge to Wimbledon. 700 third rail Bottom contact Metro-North Railroad New York USA Hudson & Harlem lines, southern part of New Haven line. Original New York Central Grand Central Terminal electrification scheme. Market-Frankford Line Philadelphia USA Originally 600V, raised to 700. 800 third rail Bottom contact Berlin S-Bahn Berlin Germany 825 Moscow Metro Moscow Russia Pyongyang Metro Pyongyang North Korea Uses old 750 V Berlin U-Bahn rolling stock. 850 Bottom contact Yellow Train Villefranche France Bottom contact Ligne de Saint Gervais - Vallorcine Martigny The infobox mentions lateral (side) contact Vienna Austria former Southern Railway United Kingdom Original route of Eurostar, pre-High Speed 1, upgraded from 750 V 1000 Top Contact Bay Area Rapid Transit San Francisco USA 1200 third rail Side contact Manchester-Bury Manchester UK Dismantled 1991, converted to Manchester Metrolink tramway (750 V DC overhead) Side contact Hamburg S-Bahn Hamburg Germany Since 1940. Used both third rail DC (1200 V) and overhead line AC (6300 V 25 Hz) until 1955. 1500 third rail ? Culoz–Modane railway Chambéry - Modane France used between 1925 and 1976, today overhead wire third rail Bottom Contact Guangzhou Metro (Line 4) and Guangzhou Metro (Line 5) Guangzhou China third rail Bottom Contact Shenzhen Metro Longgang Line Shenzhen China Three-phase systems
Voltage Current Contact System Name of System Location Country Notes Three wire Tagebau Gruhlwerk Rack railway (0.7 km).
Operated 1927-1949725 50 Hz, Δ Two wire Gornergratbahn Zermatt Switzerland Website 750 40 Hz, 3Ø Two wire Burgdorf-Thun Bahn Burgdorf - Thun Operated 1899-1933.
Converted to 15 kV, 16⅔ Hz in 1933.800 60 Hz, 3Ø Corcovado Rack Railway Rio de Janeiro Brazil 1125 50 Hz, 3Ø Two wire Jungfraubahn Interlaken Switzerland Website 3000 15 Hz, 3Ø Valtellina Electrification Northern Italy 1902–1917 50 Hz, 3Ø Chemin de Fer de la Rhune France 3000 16 Hz, 3Ø Two wire Simplon Tunnel Switzerland, Italy; Simplon Bahn, 1906-1930 3600 16⅔ Hz, 3Ø Two wire Italy Operated 1912-1976 in Upper Italy (more info needed) FS Porrettana railway 1927–1935 5200 25 Hz, 3Ø Almeria - Gergal Spain 1911–1966? 10 kV 45 Hz, 3Ø Two wire FS Roma - Sulmona Italy 1929–1944 50 Hz, 3Ø Three wire Berlin - Lichtenhain Germany Test track (1.8 km).
Variable voltage and frequency.
Trial runs 1898-190114 kV
(See notes)38 Hz - 48 Hz
(See notes)Three wire Zossen - Marienfelde Test Track (23.4 km).
Trial runs 1901-1904
Variable voltage between 10 kV and 14 kV and frequency between 38 Hz and 48 Hz.
Special or unusual types
DC, plough collection from conductors in conduit below track
Main article: Conduit current collection- London County Council Tramways, later operated by London Transport
- Streetcars in New York City (Manhattan), New York
- Washington, D.C. streetcars
DC, one ground-level conductor
- Wolverhampton Corporation Tramways, England. (stud contact) (1902–1921)
DC, two ground-level conductors
- Bordeaux Tramway, France. (conductor rail)
DC, two-wire
- Greenwich, England. Previously used by trams when in the vicinity of Greenwich Observatory; separate from trolley-bus supply.
- Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Tram (streetcar) system used this arrangement throughout, probably due to legal constraints on ground return currents.
- Havana and Guanabacoa, Cuba. Tram (streetcar) systems in both cities used this arrangement.
DC, power from running rails
- Gross-Lichterfelde Tramway (1881–1893)
- Ungerer Tramway (1886–1895)
- transportable railways as ride for children
DC, four-rail
Voltage Current Type Contact System Name of System Location Country Notes 750 DC guide bars Lateral to both guide bars (one guide connected to running rail) Paris Metro Paris France Rubber-tyred lines only Lateral (positive) and top of running rails (negative) contact Montreal Metro Montreal Canada Rubber-tyred lines third and fourth rail Lateral (positive) and top (negative) contact Milan Transportation System Milan Italy Metro (only line 1) 630 Top Contact London Underground London UK Transport for London [16]
Clive's Underground Line Guides [17]See also
- Current collector
- Ground level power supply
- Light rail
References
- ^ EN 50163: Railway applications. Supply voltages of traction systems (2007)
- ^ IEC 60850: Railway applications - Supply voltages of traction systems, 3rd edition (2007)
- ^ "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". mta.info | Facts and Figures. http://www.mta.info/nyct/facts/ffsubway.htm. Retrieved 7 September 2011. - ^ page 5
- ^ a b "Indian Railways FAQ:Electric Traction - I". Indian Railways Fan Club. http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-elec. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
- ^ Railway Gazette International April 2008, p 240
- ^ Electrified D. L. & W. Time magazine archives Retrieved 2007-08-12
- ^ a b "[Railway S4/S10]" (in German). SZU. http://www.szu.ch/unternehmen/bahn-s4s10.html. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
- ^ Israel Railways Electrification - TEDEM Civil Engineering
- ^ "Espacio del Viajero: Conoce los Trenes" (in Spanish). Mexico City: Ferrocarriles Suburbanos. http://www.fsuburbanos.com/secciones/espacio_viajero/conoce_trenes.php?ver=prestaciones. Retrieved 24 May 2011. "Alimentación (Vcc. catenaria): 25000, 60Hz"
- ^ Sóller Website
- ^ Chemin de fer de La Mure
- ^ West Coast Railway Association, BC - Access 09-11-2008
- ^ "Southend Pier Railway". http://www.greywall.demon.co.uk/rail/spr.html.
- ^ Disused since 2003
- ^ [1]
- ^ Clive's Underground Line Guides
External links
- http://www.bahnstrom.de/bahnstromsysteme/weltweit_kopf.htm
- Map of European voltage-systems
- Southern Electric, England - details of electrification
Railway electrification List of systems · Railway electrification system · Railway electric traction · Traction substation · Traction power network · Pantograph · Power car · Electric locomotive · Electric multiple unit · Electro-diesel locomotive · Multi-system · Overhead lines · Third rail · Trolley pole · Conduit current collection · Ground level power supply · Stud contact system ·
By country : Australia · Great Britain · Iran · Japan · Malaysia · Norway · Turkey · United States
Categories:- Rail transport-related lists
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