OHMS-real-time analysis of the pantograph-catenary interaction to reduce maintenance costs

Disruptions to railway operations due to infrastructure events caused by the interaction between rolling stock pantograph and catenary highlight a requirement to develop mitigating strategies and devices, with the underlying aim of improving service quality and reducing the costs of unavailability and maintenance of both the train and in the infrastructure itself. Responding to this requirement, Alstom has developed the OHMS (OverHead Monitoring Services) solution that, through the measurement of several dynamic and kinematic parameters, allows to monitor in real time the interaction between pantograph and catenary. With this information, we can analyse the behaviour of the pantograph itself and we can early detect the points in the line with a potential risk of hook up or failure as well.