What is the purpose of the third rail displayed in these pictures below (which is the RTD light rail train system of Denver, CO)?
I doubt they supply electricity as there are overhead wires on those tracks. After the recent blizzard, I've noticed that those third rails were still covered by snow, leaving me to believe they aren't in contact with the trains.

It's not a dual-gauge railway either as this third rail only seem to exist within the boundaries of certain station (couple hundred yards at most). There isn't any third rail in the stations located downtown.

Any ideas?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_rail

 

so they can use 2 different gauge trains?? i dunno

 

I did my research before, but this seem very odd as it doesn't seem like the third rail is in contact with the trains as it remained covered with snow with passing trains.

 

maybe the lightrail trains use a narrower gauge track than normal trains and the third rail is for normal trains? :dunno:

 

It probably started with a third rail then switched.

 

The system started downtown, and there is definitely no third rail downtown.

 

Strictly reinforcement.

 

i like trains

 

It's a guard rail to help prevent derailments in the stations, where people on the platforms could be injured or killed.

A powered third rail would not be down on the crossties with the other rails. It would be raised up on insulators, and in the stations it would on the side of the tracks away from the platforms.