Guidelines for Installing Overhead Contact Line for High-Speed Shinkansen Operation

Abstract

Current collection performance is one of the most important factors affecting the high-speed operation of Shinkansen railways. The installation accuracy of the overhead contact line has a considerable influence on the contact force fluctuation between the overhead contact line and the pantograph. However, there are no concrete guidelines that specify the acceptable range of errors when installing an overhead contact line. This paper proposes a procedure for establishing the installation guidelines, which are derived from the results of the dynamic simulation of an actual installation state. The installation guidelines for Shinkansen operation at 300 or 320km/h established according to this procedure are presented. The installation error indicators are span slope, difference of span slope, sag ratio, support point slope, and support point curvature. Under actual installation conditions, the guidelines may be violated, and hence, the installation accuracy threshold must be increased so that the guidelines are adhered to even during high-speed operations. The proposed installation guidelines are expected to contribute to the improvement of the performance, reliability, safety, and maintenance efficiency of the overhead contact line.