Electric Transmission for High-Speed Rail: A Concept for a Balanced-Force Pantograph and Overhead Contact System

At the core of electrified railroad design is the pantograph and overhead contact system (OCS). The design of the OCS has been essentially unchanged for nearly 100 years. The pantograph has undergone structural changes in the last 50 years but still functions the same way it did some 100 years ago. The technology has proven to be remarkably successful and reliable.