Non-contact force measurement for current collection in a 25kV overhead line electrified railway

Network Rail's Western Route is undergoing a wide-ranging modernisation programme, with £7.5bn investment in 175 miles of electrification and infrastructure upgrades allowing the introduction of four new fleets of train by 2019. This paper reviews the potential utilisation of camera imagery to inform maintenance processes that need to absorb a step change in pantograph movements and OLE management.