Trains in other countries which switch from using overhead wires to using third rail during the journey.

[stadler]

Is there anywhere else in the world where trains switch between using overhead wires and using third rail during the journey?

In the UK we have seven such examples:

• Great Northern - Moorgate to Gordon Hill / Hertford North / Stevenage / Welwyn Garden City (switches over at Drayton Park station)

• London Overground - Clapham Junction to Stratford (switches over just North of Shepherds Bush station)

• London Overground - Richmond to Stratford (switches over at Acton Central station)

• Southeastern - London St Pancras to Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Ashford (switches over at Ashford station)

• Southeastern - London St Pancras to Dover Priory / Margate / Ramsgate via Faversham (switches over at Ebbsfleet station)

• Southern - Clapham Junction to Watford Junction (switches over just North of Shepherds Bush station)

• Thameslink - Brighton / Gatwick Airport / Horsham / Orpington / Rainham / Sevenoaks / Sutton / Three Bridges / Wimbledon to Bedford / Cambridge / Luton / Peterborough / Saint Albans City (switches over at City Thameslink station going northbound or at Farringdon station going southbound)

But in other countries it is rare to find third rail. But there are many metro systems with third rail. So it may happen elsewhere. I am just trying to find out whether this is a unique UK practice.

Does anyone know of any such examples of routes which switch from overhead wires to third rail in any other countries?

 

[edwin_m]

Metro-North from New York (Grand Central) to New Haven.

Also in New York, they may at some point decide to get some dual-voltage units to run through between the third rail Long Island Railroad and the overhead of New Jersey Transit. It would save a lot of turnaround time and possibly avoid the need to enlarge Penn Station.

In the UK there is also the Great Northern service from Moorgate.

The Martigny-Chamonix service in Switzerland/France is metre gauge, part overhead and part third rail, and includes a rack section.

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

Hamburg S-Bahn on the S5 to Stade?

 

[stuu]

Boston Subway blue line uses third rail underground and overhead once out of the tunnels

 

[kraiken]

The MBTA Blue line in Boston - 3rd rail south of Maverick on the former street car section, and overhead power (both 600 V DC) on the Revere extension (itself a conversion from narrow gauge too), to avoid icing issues in the costal air.

 

[43096]

In the UK there is also the Great Northern service from Moorgate.

And South Eastern's high speed services, which go onto third rail once off HS1.

 

[DanielB]

The Rotterdam Metro switches from third rail to overhead wires between Capelsebrug and Schenkel (route A and B) and route B then switches back to third rail at De Tochten from where it continues to Nesselande. Another changeover third rail/OHLE happens at Melanchtonweg station (route E) and Schiedam Nieuwland (A/B).

So on it's way from Nesselande to Hoek van Holland a train on route B changes from third rail/OHLE and back three times.

 

[MarcVD]

Athens metro line 3 to the airport :

Dual voltage ROTEM-supplied stock with greater luggage space is used for services to Athens International Airport. Line 3 rail vehicles utilize 750 V DC third rail current collection between Dimotiko Theatro and Doukissis Plakentias, changing to 25 kV AC overhead catenary while operating on the Athens Suburban Railway for access to/from the airport.

 

[JonasB]

It used to happen on the Holmenkollen line of the Oslo metro, but now it has been converted to 3rd rail like the rest of the metro network. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmenkollen_Line

 

[Christian Schm]

Hamburg S-Bahn on the S5 to Stade?

Yes, the switch is west of Neugraben station. Until December 2023 route S3 operated to Stade. In the peaks this involved run in 9-car-formation up to Neugraben, where 3 cars that weren’t capable of running under overhead would be detached. This regularly caused issues, so S3 trains are now all terminating at Neugraben, and S5 trains (which used to be numbered S31, and only runs in 6-car-formation anyway) runs to Stade instead.

And two more switches are currently under construction: Firstly route S5 will be extended from Eidelstedt to Kaltenkirchen. I think the switch will be just north of Eidelstedt-Zentrum.

Secondly there will be a new route numbered S4, taking over the current suburban trains to Ahrensburg and Oldesloe. It will branch off the third-rail operated system just east of Hasselbrook, and despite getting its own new (double) tracks to Ahrensburg, will switch over to overhead almost immediately east of Hasselbrook.

 

[signed]

Tours, France's Tram goes from 750V OHL to Alimentation par le Sol (APS, power from the ground) "third rail" in the center

 

[desiro350]

The Mont Blanc Express from Martigny in Switzerland to Vallorcine just over the border into France switches from overhead to 3rd rail and vice versa multiple times during its 13 or so miles. Very tight clearances in most of the tunnels though, particularly that on the 1 in 5 climb out of the Rhone valley, which would likely need complete rebuilds to accommodate OHL. The section beyond Vallorcine through the Chamonix valley to St Gervais is all 3rd rail.

 

[etr221]

Two former such operations not yet mentioned:
1. The PLM (later SNCF) 'Maurienne' line in the Alps from Culoz to Modane used 3rd rail 1500v dc between stations (where there was overhead wire) - I don't recall when it was converted to OH throughout (but was sufficiently recently for some of the CC6500 C-C electrics of the 1970s to have had the necessary collector shoes).
2. Significant parts of the Chicago L used overhead at the outer ends of the system, so trolley poles used to be a normal feature of L cars. While most were converted to 3R a good while back, the 'Skokie Swift' section, an L extension of the 1960s, retained OH into the current century.

 

[ThisIsSurbiton]

Amsterdam metro line 51 used to switch at Zuid to go over upgraded tram tracks down to Amstelveen.

 

[DanielB]

Amsterdam metro line 51 used to switch at Zuid to go over upgraded tram tracks down to Amstelveen.

That situation doesn't exist anymore for several years now. The route to Amstelveen was rebuilt and now served by tram 25. Metro 51 now is an orbital route from Central Station via South to Sloterdijk.