Third rail railways predominantly operate in urban contexts. Notable exceptions are (or were) mainline electrics of the former Southern Region of British Railways and a few interurban railways in the US. In Europe top contact third rail tends to be limited to early electrified urban railways (the current conductor is normally left naked on top), contrary to North America where it usually has a protecting cover. Obviously considered safe enough, the covered top contact conductor also appeared at most North American systems built relatively recently. Modern European systems predominantly make use of bottom or side contact power rails.
It is also interesting to realise the existence of numerous urban rail systems, including these running mostly in tunnels, which do not use third rail at all. Such systems can be found in Asia, which may have been influenced by the overhead power supply formula followed by Tokyo Metro after 1960. All South Korean systems use overhead wires (or rigid conductors), as do most modern mainland Chinese Metros. In Europe all significant Spanish systems now have overhead power supply. Modern Latin America urban rail also uses overhead wires, though with some important exceptions.
Special group of bottom power supplied railways are rubber-tyred systems. In fact, it may be difficult to classify them beyond any doubt. They may be trains, but are they still railways? And do they still have 'third' rails? Despite doubts, such guided systems have been included in the list below.
The list does not include conduit system trams (trolleys), once quite popular in some countries, but none survive.
| Notes: | |
|---|---|
| t/c | top contact; others have bottom or side contact power rails (or rail type not known) |
| gr/c | combined with guiding rail on rubber-tyred systems (including light metros such as VAL) |
| b/c | b/c – bottom contact |
Contents |
United Kingdom
Former:
Switzerland
Former:
Japan
Former:
| Country | Location | Name of System | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | Cairo | Cairo Metro | Line 2 (Shobra - El Mounib) |
| Country | Location | Name of System | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Montreal | Montreal Métro | (gr/c) |
| Toronto | Toronto Subway/RT | (t/c, covered) | |
| Vancouver | Vancouver SkyTrain | (t/c, covered) | |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Mexico City Metro | All lines (gr/c), except Line A (overhead) |
| United States | Chicago | Chicago 'L' | Chicago 'L' and Subway, (t/c) |
| New York City | Airtrain JFK | ||
| Amtrak | Penn Station complex, north and east river tunnels on Northeast Corridor, Empire tunnel
and Sunnyside Yard for diesel/electric engines and LIRR service to Penn Station (t/c, covered) |
||
| Long Island Rail Road | NYC commuter system (t/c, covered); (Portions run on diesel & diesel/electric hybrid) | ||
| Metro-North Railroad | NYC commuter system (b/c); (Portions run on diesel & diesel/electric hybrid); (New Haven Line trains switch between third rail and overhead catenary power between Mount Vernon East and Pelham, at speed ) | ||
| New York City Subway | (t/c, covered) | ||
| PATH (NYC-NJ) | t/c, covered) | ||
| Staten Island Railway | (t/c, covered) | ||
| San Francisco | BART | (t/c, covered) | |
| AirTrain SFO | (gr/c) | ||
| Washington DC | Washington Metro | (t/c, covered) | |
| Boston | Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) | Red, Orange and Blue (partly) Lines (t/c) | |
| Philadelphia | Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) | Market-Frankford Line: (b/c, covered), Broad St Line, Route 100 to Norristown: (t/c, covered) | |
| PATCO | (t/c, covered) | ||
| Atlanta | MARTA | (t/c, covered) | |
| Atlanta International Airport PM | (gr/c) | ||
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles Metro | Red Line (t/c, covered) | |
| Miami | Miami Metrorail | (t/c, covered) | |
| Miami Metromover | (gr/c) | ||
| Baltimore | Baltimore Metro Subway | (t/c, covered) | |
| Detroit | Detroit People Mover | ||
| Chicago | O'Hare International Airport | Transit System (gr/c) | |
| Tampa | Tampa International Airport PM | (gr/c) | |
| Denver | Denver International Airport PM | (gr/c) | |
| Seattle | Satellite Transit System PM in Airport | (gr/c) | |
| Dallas | Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport PM | (gr/c) | |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | Tren Urbano | Semi-suspended inverted collector rail[1] (b/c?) |
United States
Former:
| Country | Location | Name of System | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | Trenes de Buenos Aires | Mitre and Sarmiento railways | |
| Buenos Aires | Metrovías | Urquiza railway, Buenos Aires subway line B (t/c, covered) | |
| Brazil | Metrô - Cia de Transporte Metropolitano de São Paulo | ||
| Rio de Janeiro Metrô | (t/c, partly covered) | ||
| Brasilia Metrô | |||
| Chile | Santiago Metro | (gr/c), except Line 4 (t/c) | |
| Venezuela | Caracas | Caracas Metro |