Pantograph Damage and Wear Monitoring System

NewRail, the Centre for Railway Research at Newcastle University together with the specialised design and analysis company Northern Power Transmission Research Laboratories and the leading rail services provider Serco Assurance-Railtest have pioneered a unique novel system, which allows impact between overhead line and pantograph to be measured on normal service trains. This paper discusses the background and state-of-the-art in pantograph monitoring as well as describing the main features of this innovative condition monitoring technology, including trials in live traffic conditions.