Train Travel And A Power Cut?

Question

I was thinking this morning....and common sense is telling me that there would be a back up system.

If you was travelling on a train and there was a power cut. Then would the train stop or would an emergency supply of electricity continue it along its journey?

Thank you

Answer 1

If there is a power cut the train would stop. The brakes would operate and bring the train to a gentle stop a bit down the line.

There are backup systems for signal boxes and everything else. The Rail authority would have a process to minimise the time that a train can be stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Answer 2

In the UK the train would stop. Power for the overhead is taken from the National Grid and there is no way of providing a backup supply. Common sense should tell you that it is not possible to provide such a system. A railway system is not like a hospital, for example, where an emergency generator can kick in to keep vital systems going. The railway cannot decide that it will operate on limited power and keep 'x' train running whilst 'y' is stopped. If the power cut only affected one or two trains - and seemed likely to continue for some time - then backup that does exist - a standby diesel loco known as a 'Thunderbird' would be sent to haul the stranded train