Do electric trains run on AC or DC?

Electric trains generally draw power from AC overhead lines. Some DC lines do exist, but they are getting replaced by AC lines. Motors used (traction motors) are generally DC motors. But nowadays they are being phased out in favour of AC motors as AC motors require less maintenance as compared to DC motors.



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Most overhead railway cables carry a voltage of 25,000 volts (25kV) in order to power electric trains. This is roughly 100 times more powerful than the electricity used in your home.

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DC will consume less energy when operating under service conditions. The equipment in the system will cost less to build and there is no need to produce the conversion technology to ensure that the train can run on AC power.

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It all comes down to efficiency; electric motors are far more efficient than internal combustion engines when it comes to creating mechanical energy, and this is particularly relevant with trains.

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The motors run from start to around 850 volts /500 amps and even more each and the locomotives can reach 120 to over 200KPH .

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Some locomotives collect electricity from overhead cables, while others take power from a third “live” rail on the track. It is very expensive to build the lines or rails that carry the electric current, but electric locomotives are cleaner, quieter, faster, and more reliable than steam or diesel engines.

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The Association of American Railroads claims 220000 km. Capital costs for electrifying something that large would be just a bit high, and with continuing subsidies for oil the cost savings simply aren't there. Additionally, the vast majority of the US rail network is privately owned and operated by dozens of railroads.

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Although commonly called diesels, the locomotives actually are electrically driven. The diesel engine drives an alternator, which produces electricity to run electric motors mounted on the locomotive's axles.

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Electric Trains vs. Diesel-powered trains transfer about 30-35 percent of the energy generated by combustion to the wheels, while supplying electricity directly from an overhead powerline transfers about 95 percent of the energy to the wheels.

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Disadvantages of electric traction include: high capital costs that may be uneconomic on lightly trafficked routes, a relative lack of flexibility (since electric trains need third rails or overhead wires), and a vulnerability to power interruptions.

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