City and South London Railway
The City and South London Railway (C&SLR) was the first successful deep-level underground "tube" railway in the world, and the first major railway to use electric traction. The railway was originally intended for cable-hauled trains, but owing to the bankruptcy of the cable contractor during construction, a system of electric traction using electric locomotives—an experimental technology at the time—was chosen instead.
City and South London Railway
A picture of a City and South London Railway train from The Illustrated London News, 1890
C&SLR locomotive number 13 at the London Transport Museum Depot in 2005
Kennington station, the only one of the original station buildings not replaced or substantially altered
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain began in the late 19th century. A range of voltages has been used, employing both overhead lines and conductor rails. The two most common systems are 25 kV AC using overhead lines, and the 750 V DC third rail system used in Southeast England and on Merseyrail. As of October 2023, 6,065 kilometres (3,769 mi) (38%) of the British rail network was electrified.
Overhead line electrification at Great Bentley
Third rail electrification in Kent. Trains use a contact shoe system to collect electricity from the 750 V DC third rail.
A bogie of a British Rail Class 483 electric multiple unit. The black object hanging from the piece of wood (shoe beam) just above it is the contact shoe for the third rail system.
A Class 86 hauled electric express on the West Coast Main Line in the 1970s
