Ground-level power supply
Ground-level power supply, also known as surface current collection or, in French, alimentation par le sol, is a concept and group of technologies whereby electric vehicles collect electric power at ground level from individually-powered segments instead of the more common overhead lines. Ground-level power supply was developed for aesthetic reasons, to avoid the presence of overhead lines in city centres.
Bordeaux tramway with ground-level power supply
Conduit for current collection between the rails of streetcars in Washington, D.C., 1939. First installed in 1895, it remained in operation until 1962
Remaining conduit tram track on the ramp to the abandoned Kingsway tram subway in London, with plants growing in the conduit
Electric truck driving on a public road with Elways-Evias ground-level power supply, near Arlanda airport, 2019.
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union of Railways for the technology is overhead line. It is known variously as overhead catenary, overhead contact line (OCL), overhead contact system (OCS), overhead equipment (OHE), overhead line equipment, overhead lines (OHL), overhead wiring (OHW), traction wire, and trolley wire.
Overhead lines
Lineworkers on a maintenance of way vehicle repairing overhead lines (Poland)
Overhead over a switch in Toronto: Two runners for pantographs flank the trolley pole frog.
A switch in parallel overhead lines
