How is the railway being electrified?

Rail electrification is the process of enabling electric trains to run on railways tracks. This allows rail network providers to phase out engines powered by diesel or coal. This gives the railway the potential to be greener: 

• Removes older, inefficient diesel powered locomotives from the network, reducing emissions,
• The power for the whole network is generated in centralised locations and in a more efficient manner,
• If the electricity can be generated from renewable sources, the entire railway network can become more environmentally friendly. 

The process of electrification has been underway in the UK for a number of years, but it requires labour-intensive trackside works that take significant periods of time. Elements of the network, such as the London Underground, have been electrified since 1890, though this was in part due to the fumes from steam trains causing issues in the underground. The modern push for electrification is centred more on the need to reduce operating costs and the carbon footprint of the rail network by switching to more renewable and efficient energy sources. For Network Rail, the owners of the UK track network, their preferred method is to install overhead line equipment (OHL), although other methods include the third rail, which is – as the name implies – a third rail next to the track that is electrified, with trains drawing the current through a shoe fitted to the train.  Other less conventional methods include linear motors and fourth rail systems.