Third rail

:"Third rail" is sometimes used as a metaphor in politics: see third rail (metaphor). A third rail can also be part of a dual gauge setup.

Related Topics:
Third rail (metaphor) - Dual gauge

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A third rail is a method of providing electricity to power a railroad, typically a mass transit system. Well-known examples of rail transit systems utilizing a third rail include the New York City subway system, the Los Angeles and Washington, DC Metro systems, the San Francisco BART system, the Chicago 'L', most of the Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road in New York, the Toronto subway, and the MBTA in Boston. In the UK, third rails are used on the London Underground system (which uses a fourth rail as well), the suburban railway network in and around south London, long-distance services across the south of England and the Glasgow Subway system. Subway systems (U-Bahnen) in Germany and the suburban trains (S-Bahnen) in Hamburg and Berlin use a third rail. The metro systems of Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia also use third rails to power their trains.

Related Topics:
Electricity - Railroad - Mass transit - New York City subway - Los Angeles - Washington, DC - Metro - San Francisco - BART - Chicago - 'L' - Metro-North Railroad - Long Island Rail Road - New York - Toronto subway - MBTA - Boston - London Underground - London - England - Glasgow Subway - Hamburg - Berlin - Moscow - St. Petersburg - Russia

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This third rail system of electrification is unrelated to the third rail used in dual-gauge railways.

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