About Third Rail Current Collector:
- The third rail system is a means of providing electric power to a train through a conductor placed alongside the rails.
- Kolkata Metro Railway has been using steel Third Rail for the last 40 years.
- Kolkata Metro Railway has now decided to use composite Aluminium Third Rail in all the upcoming corridors being undertaken for construction along with retro fitment in existing corridors with steel Third Rail.
- With this Metro Railway, Kolkata would become a member of the elite club of London, Moscow, Berlin, Munich, and Istanbul Metro which have also shifted from steel Third Rail to Aluminium Third Rail.
- The advantages of aluminium composite third Rail over steel third Rail are:
- Reduction in resistive current loss and improved Traction voltage level.
- Reduced maintenance and life cycle cost.
- Improvement in the efficiency of train operations.
- Huge improvement in Energy Efficiency
- Reduction in carbon footprint.
