A current collector for a rail vehicle and a method for transmitting energy from power rails to the vehicle employ a contact shoe that includes an upper sliding contact surface and a lower sliding contact surface. A first pressing-on force forms a sliding contact between the upper sliding contact surface and an upper contact surface of a first power rail, when the contact shoe is in an upper sliding contact position. A second pressing-on force forms a sliding contact between the lower sliding contact surface and a lower contact surface of a second power rail, when the contact shoe is in a lower sliding contact position. The pressing-on forces may be applied by a pressing-on device attached to the contact shoe. The contact shoe may be moved into the upper sliding contact position by the first power rail, and into the lower sliding contact position by the second power rail.