By demand of the Municipality of Bordeaux (CUB), part of the system uses the Alstom APS system of ground-level power supply. There is no overhead wire, and electric power to the tram is supplied by a center rail with only the portion directly under the tram electrically live.
People Also Ask
Overhead lines are used to provide power for most electric trams. Overhead wires are used for both trams and light rail systems. Electric trams use various devices to collect power from overhead lines.
Today, most trams use electrical power, usually fed by a pantograph sliding on an overhead line; older systems may use a trolley pole or a bow collector. In some cases, a contact shoe on a third rail is used.
Trams cannot go around obstacles, they don't mix well with bikes, they take up too much space and “they cost a fortune,” as Washington DC can tell you.
What type of fuel do trams use? Almost all trams use electric power. There are multiple methods for delivering power, from under-street rails to a third-rail system like a metro, but the most common is a catenary system using an overhead wire and a flexible pole or plate on the vehicle that contacts it.
DC voltages between 600 V and 800 V are used by most tramways, trolleybus networks and underground (subway) systems as the traction motors accept this voltage without the weight of an on-board transformer.