Shoegear

Features such as trackless doors, mercury-type door interlocks, roof-mounted door fault indicator lights, rubber window glazing, improved retractable shoegear and a modified electro-pneumatic brake system designed to facilitate maintenance and improve reliability, which have proved their worth on the prototype trains, are continued in the new stock.

In the third case, the need to provide retractable shoegear on the power bogies to pick up current from the third rail, and the equipment to use low-voltage supply, has complicated the design of the Eurostar trains.

Here shoegear and stepboards are refitted prior to a commissioning run conducted by the manufacturer which includes high speed and emergency brake tests.

The trains run on two additional rails and pick up current by means of shoegear making sliding contact with the conductor rails.