Quote:
Originally Posted by Busy Bee
My money is on conventional overhead for one reason: its the most efficient.
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For now... But it will be backward sometime soon.
We've had some trams efficiently working on alternative systems in my country.
In Bordeaux, some kind of amazingly safe 'ground-level power supply'. It's sort of like so-called 3rd rail to supply regular subway trains with power in Paris, except people can cross it with no danger at all.
If you ever fell down on the Paris subway tracks, you'd probably instantly die from electrocution.
Nothing like that would ever happen to Bordeaux's tram.
In Nice where trams are more recent, they've been working further on batteries. Older line 1 batteries are reloaded by regular catenaries along a hybrid routes, but later line 2 is more advanced, safely reloaded at every stop by 'conductive ground-based static charging system', that must be inspired by Bordeaux's stuff.
https://www.alstom.com/our-solutions...electric-buses
This is now operational, working in Nice already.
Check
it for yourself. There's neither overhead wire nor even any 3rd rail of any kind. But pay attention and you can see that every station is equipped with the necessary gear at ground level.
This is the most advanced power supply system we've ever seen for trams thus far.
Alstom is just more advanced than any other competitor in that kind of stuff.