New Type of Lightweight Railway Overhead Line Carrying Equipment

Traditional carrying equipment that is being still used in polish railway system for dozens of years is based on typical steel profiles with low mechanical strength, low corrosion resistance and also with poor assembly and adjustment possibilities. Major part of other overhead railway equipment like support constructions, trolley wires and current carrying equipment is now modernized leaving the carrying system one of the lasts that needs to be redesigned and optimized to meet nowadays requirements for high speeds of railway travel. For that direct reason a project was started to conduct research works on design and development of the new type of railway overhead carrying equipment with enhanced exploitation properties. Within this articles authors presented a complete set of research results including designing of first concepts, FEM simulation and experimental research results including tests on final geometries in actual railway traffic. Performed studies and design works allowed to obtain an innovative overhead railway carrying system which is based on 6082 aluminum alloy and new geometry of used profiles and connection system. Research results conducted and presented within article are a part of the project co-founded by The National Centre for Research and Development.