Starline (Legrand) Starline Track Busway
Overhead track busway rated 40-1250 A whose continuous access slot lets a plug-in unit land anywhere along the run.
This model is part of SecondWatt’s busway research catalogue. Specifications and price observations are included where supported by sources. Equipment availability and commercial terms require confirmation.
Starline (Legrand) Track Busway dossier: published specifications, variations, lifecycle notes and procurement channels for data center power.
Role in the data center: Overhead flexible power distribution system that replaces traditional Remote Power Panels (RPPs), providing power distribution from PDU to server cabinets/IT loads with continuous access slot for plug-in units. Published specifications: T3: 100-225A, 4-pole, 600V continuous duty, 4.2"H x 2.4"W housing. T5: 250-1250A, 4-pole, 600V (1200A at 480V), UL857/IEC 61439-6/ETL/CE certified. Maintenance-free design with solid copper U-shaped busbars, compression joints, open channel continuous access. Major variations: T1 Series (40-60A), T2 Series (60-100A), T3 Series (100-225A), T5 Series (250-1250A), Series-S Track Busway (IP54/NEMA 3R rated), XCP High Power Busbar (630-6300A). Lifecycle and maintenance: 30+ year proven field reliability in mission critical environments, maintenance-free design requiring no routine maintenance or retorquing, 99.999% (five nines) availability demonstrated in critical facilities. Procurement channels: Legrand/Starline direct sales, authorized data center infrastructure distributors, electrical contractors. Factory-certified technicians available for installation/commissioning support.
Why it matters
Starline sells Track Busway explicitly against remote power panels and floor whips, and the continuous access slot is the reason. Plug-in units connect anywhere along a T5 run, where Eaton's Pow-R-Way III uses 24.00 inch incremental openings and Siemens Sentron outlets are centered on 24 inch intervals. Starline's T3-T5 selection guide states that loads fed from plug-in units can be added or removed without shutting power down to the busway. The same plug-in units fit the 250, 400, 630, 800, 1000 and 1200 A systems, so raising a feeder rating does not force new branch devices.
Who buys it
Colocation and hyperscale data center operators, and the EPCs building for them, buying overhead branch distribution above the cabinet rows. The purchase is driven by churn: a site that re-racks, changes cabinet density or adds cabinets between construction phases buys busway so that a new circuit is a plug-in unit rather than a conduit run and a revised panel schedule. Universities, hospitals, retail and industrial facilities buy the same product for bench and floor power.
Role in the data center
Overhead flexible power distribution system that replaces traditional Remote Power Panels (RPPs), providing power distribution from PDU to server cabinets/IT loads with continuous access slot for plug-in units
Key specifications
| Track Busway ampacity range | 40-1250 A |
|---|---|
| Series-S ampacity range | 100-1200 A |
| High Power Busway ampacity range | 630-6000 A |
| T5 system ampere ratings | 250, 400, 600/630, 800, 1000, 1200-1250 A |
| T3 system ratings | 160 A at 415 V; 225 A at 600 V |
| Voltage rating, US systems | 600 V |
| Voltage rating, metric systems | 415 V |
| Poles | 4-pole for continuous duty |
| Conductor configurations | 3-phase plus neutral; 3-phase plus neutral plus internal ground; 3-phase plus 200 percent neutral; 3-phase plus 200 percent neutral plus internal ground |
| Busbar material, 400T5G | Three phase conductors plus one neutral, solid copper, tin plated |
| Busbar option, 800T5 | Copper or copper-aluminum channel busbars |
| Housing material | Extruded aluminum, standard silver with red, blue, black, white or custom RAL options |
| Housing dimensions, 250T5 / 400T5 / 800T5 | 5.050 W x 4.360 D; 5.050 W x 5.800 D; 5.050 W x 6.4 D in |
| Standard straight lengths | 5, 10 and 20 (1.5, 3 and 6 m); 800T5 maximum 10 ft |
| Short-circuit rating, 400T5G | Up to 20 Icw at 1 second withstand and up to 100 Icc kA |
| Standards | UL 857; IEC 61439-1 and IEC 61439-6 |
| Certification and marking | ETL, CCC, NOM and VDE certification; CE marking |
| Ingress protection | IP2X/IP3X on Track Busway; IP54 on Series-S |
| Maximum hanger spacing | 3 (10 ft) m |
| Minimum plug-in clearance from housing coupler | 152 mm |
| Voltage drop, 250T5 three-phase | 1 V per 48 ft |
| Voltage drop, 800T5 three-phase | 1 V per 25 ft |
| Compression lug torque | 275 in.-lb (31 Nm) |
| Plug-in unit categories | Meter plug and meter box; terminal block; receptacle box and drop cord; circuit breaker and fused disconnect |
| Monitoring | M70 Critical Power Monitor; M73 and M76 AC at 480 V AC; M7C, M7F, M7J and M7M DC at 48 V DC or 400 V DC |
Technical summary
T3: 100-225A, 4-pole, 600V continuous duty, 4.2"H x 2.4"W housing. T5: 250-1250A, 4-pole, 600V (1200A at 480V), UL857/IEC 61439-6/ETL/CE certified. Maintenance-free design with solid copper U-shaped busbars, compression joints, open channel continuous access
Major variations
T1 Series (40-60A), T2 Series (60-100A), T3 Series (100-225A), T5 Series (250-1250A), Series-S Track Busway (IP54/NEMA 3R rated), XCP High Power Busbar (630-6300A)
Configurations and options
Straight sections (1.5m, 3m, 6m standard lengths), elbow sections (90-degree horizontal/vertical), tee sections, end feeds, plug-in units with customizable circuit breakers/outlets/cord drops, M70 Critical Power Monitor integration, remote plug-in actuator
Compatibility and dependencies
Compatible with various NEMA outlet configurations, integrates with BMS/DCIM via Modbus RTU/TCP/SNMP protocols. Supports revenue-grade metering (M70 CPM). Standards compliance: UL857, IEC 61439-6, ETL/CCC/NOM/VDE certified, CE marked
Pricing and availability
No published price history for this line; track busway pricing typically follows copper commodity trends and general electrical infrastructure inflation
Lifecycle and maintenance
30+ year proven field reliability in mission critical environments, maintenance-free design requiring no routine maintenance or retorquing, 99.999% (five nines) availability demonstrated in critical facilities
Common failure points
- Housing compression joints — Localised heating at a joint assembled without the matching joint kit or disturbed after installation
- Continuous access slot closure strip — A missing or deformed strip leaves the slot open to dust and no longer meets the IP2X finger-probe condition Starline specifies
- Extruded aluminum housing surface — Degradation of the housing and insulating surfaces after contact with the wrong cleaning product
- Plug-in unit seating near a housing coupler — A unit installed inside the 152 mm minimum clearance from a coupler does not seat correctly
- Hangers and supports — Sag between supports on a run hung beyond the 3 metre maximum, which transfers load into the joints
- Plug-in units carried over from another series — Units from a different Starline system do not match the housing they are being fitted to
Inspection checklist
Read the ampere and voltage rating off the housing label and confirm it against the system the run will serve; the 250T5, 400T5 and 800T5 housings share a 5.050 in. width but differ in depth at 4.360, 5.800 and 6.4 in. Confirm the conductor configuration on the label: 3-phase plus neutral or 3-phase plus 200 percent neutral, and whether an internal ground conductor is fitted. Walk the full length and check that every joint carries its joint kit and that no section has been cut in the field. Inspect the access slot along the whole run for a continuous closure strip and for any deformation that would fail the IP2X finger probe. Measure hanger spacing against the 3 metre maximum. Rate and count every plug-in unit separately and confirm the units match the busway series. Verify end caps are fitted, and on Series-S that joint and end-cap seals are present.
Procurement channels
Legrand/Starline direct sales, authorized data center infrastructure distributors, electrical contractors. Factory-certified technicians available for installation/commissioning support
Regional notes
Global availability with US (UL, 60Hz) and international (IEC, 50Hz) versions. Metric and imperial sizing options. Standards vary by region: UL857 (US), IEC 61439-6 (international), regional certifications include ETL, CCC (China), NOM (Mexico), VDE (Germany)