Overhead Wires Vs Third Rail

[walt]

One other advantage of third rail, at least over the suspended wire overhead typical of most of the old interurbans, was that it allowed for higher speeds ( Ie the Philadelphia & Western--AS the P&W and not as SEPTA Route 100). This is not to say that trolley pole equipped interurbans weren't capable of equally high speeds--- ( the Cincinnati & Lake Erie RR and the North Shore Line- outside of Chicago ran just as fast) but third rail equipped lines didn't have to worry about de-wiring the poles at high speeds.

[amtrakowitz]

How does this make it any less valid? The economics of the technology are the same today as they were 10 years ago

Certainly isn't the case. And no study can cite universal costs.

You still cited just one "advantage" of third rail; there are several that are obvious and don't require a "study" to back them up.

[Matthew]

I've seen overhead third rail on some of the newer Madrid Metro lines.

[BuddCar711]

Plenty of grade crossings on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad in their third rail territory. There are even grade crossings at certain locations on the CTA. In no cases have I heard recent reports of people being electrocuted by third rail.

But the problem with third rail and grade crossings is that grade crossings create a gap, and if you have a push-pull pushing at a station on a 3rd rail line before the grade crossing, the train would be dead in the middle of the crossing because the locomotive lost contact (may or may not be an issue with MUs because I don't know if the other cars feed off of each other).

[george matthews]

It was announced last week that a large part of my Southwestern Mainline is to be converted from third rail to Overhead. The reason is that the line from Southampton Docks to the North is a major freight route which is expected to see increased traffic for carrying containers. For freight use third rail is not suitable. The route from Southampton to Basingstoke will be changed. From Basingstoke to Reading a presently diesel line will have the wires put up. At Reading the route will join the soon to be electrified Great Western line, and then the Oxford line to the Midlands where it will join the already electrified line at Coventry.

The passenger trains will be converted to allow them to use either system. All the new trains have been designed for this conversion.