Flutterby™! : Ground Level Power Supply

I was this many years old when I learned about the Ground Level Power Supply first developed for the Bordeaux tramway light rail system, that has now been implemented in other systems. An alternative to overhead catenary wires or an always-live third rail, it involves a third rail cut up into short segments, with a radio on the tram that tells the system when to energize the segments currently under the tram.

So the aesthetic advantages of an inconspicuous third rail (in fact, far less conspicuous), without the danger of it always being hot.