What happens if I touch the 3rd rail?

The third rail is probably the hardest danger to see. It looks just like an ordinary rail, but it carries 750 volts – easily enough to kill you. It's designed to send power to the train, but you are 70 per cent water and the perfect conductor for this electricity. If you touch the rail, you will “stick” to it.



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With 18 volts, you can feel a very slight tingling, but nothing more... unless you lick them or press your lips to the rails. Not that is a shock! There's no real harm, unless you're running high voltage (10,000 volts) or a lot of current, 50 amps or so, should do it.

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This is why birds do not die from landing on power lines, and subway rats do not get electrocuted even if they run across the third rail; they are not bridging the energized wire or rail to a grounded part of the structure.

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If you touch the rail, you will “stick” to it. The DC current that flows through it will pull you in and not let go until the emergency services are able to switch the power off. Nearly half of the UK rail network is now electrified – and more than 30 per cent uses a third rail to power the train.

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According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), since 1975, there has been an average of 1.3 train accidents per year involving fatalities. Compare that with 2,584 aviation accidents and 700 bus accidents over the same time period.

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The metaphor comes from the high-voltage third rail in some electric railway systems. This third rail, used to power trains, usually results in the death by electrocution of anyone who comes into direct contact with it.

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Third rail systems are also less vulnerable to weather-related disruptions that affect overhead wires. As the third rail is on the ground it is unaffected by strong winds and less exposed to heavy snowfall.

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In the United States it is the law, same as if involved in a vehicle to vehicle accident or accident with a pedestrian on the road is the same on the railroad, the law and railroad operating rules always require stopping the train after an accident or incident and rendering aid to injured people.

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TIL Rats and birds don't get electrocuted by the third rail because they don't form a grounding connection. This is not some property inherent to rats and birds. This is because when they touch the third rail, they aren't touching anything else.

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If there is enough time, run in the direction of traffic toward the end of the platform and use the emergency stairs there. An emergency stop will be issued by the station guard. If there's no time, lie down between the tracks, face down, head in the direction of travel.

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Safety tips: Walking on or beside railroad tracks is illegal. The only safe place to cross tracks is at designated public crossings with a crossbuck, flashing red lights or a gate.

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A lot of trains are powered by electricity. The third rail or electrical line running in parallel with the tracks provides power. The voltage of the lines transforms into electrical current through transformers, which power the wheels' motors.

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In one study conducted at the BNSF Railway Hobart Railyard in Los Angeles, the California Environmental Protection Agency estimated that residents living near a railyard experienced a higher risk of carcinogen exposure.

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