Powering the world’s railways

What is it?
A strip of inert carbon, about one metre long, which transfers electricity from overhead wires to the locomotive.

How does it work?
Our popular carbon strips power the world’s railways quietly and with no need for lubrication. Carbon is non-abrasive, has low electrical resistance and low mechanical friction. With low wearing rates it lasts a long time. It’s readily available and it does not melt which means that it will not weld or damage the conductor. It causes no electrical interference to phone and radio signals. All these advantages result in lower total running costs than alternative collector materials.

Who uses it?
We have major contracts for railways in the US, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK. We are an approved supplier for the Hong Kong transport system and we work with the Chinese railways and the Delhi Metro.

And the future?
As trains get faster, the advantages of carbon as a pick-up material gain momentum. We’re expanding the already large global market for carbon collector strips by launching technically advanced versions. Over the years we’ve developed our carbon strips by increasing their current capacity and improving their base materials and carbon retention. Alongside plain hard carbon, we’ve also brought in metallised carbon which has the greater mechanical strength required to handle high voltage systems. Our technological and design expertise are helping the world’s railways exploit the benefits of carbon for a safe, reliable service.

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