Tractive power supply at German Federal Railway's 400 km/h runs

A short review is given of the overhead catenary system used for several high-speed lines and of novel high-performance pantographs. The characteristic data of the trial section are described. Upgrading of the catenary and using a novel pantograph enabled record speed on rails (406.9 km/h) to be attained. Advanced measuring devices were used to supervise the run of the pantograph and the behavior of the catenary. The monitored data proved that the tractive power was reliably transmitted to the vehicle even at the peak speed. The design speed of the catenary was 250 km/h. Tests carried out under the catenary and the high-speed runs demonstrated the effectiveness of the design. They proved that in regular service, speeds up to 300 km/h will not cause any reductions of the quality of contact between the pantograph and the overhead catenary. The topography of the trial section, the limited superelevation of the rail, and the power capacity of the train determined the achieved speed. The catenary would have been suitable for a further increase in speed.<>