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PKP S.A. Launches Pantograph Control System to Reduce Train Delays

PKP S.A. Launches Pantograph Control System to Reduce Train Delays
photo: PKP S.A./PKP S.A. Launches Pantograph Control System to Reduce Train Delays
30 / 01 / 2023

PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe S.A. has introduced the country's first system for detecting faults in pantographs, essential devices on electric locomotives and electric multiple units.

The initial routes covered by this system are Warsaw – Katowice and the suburban Warsaw – Grodzisk Mazowiecki line. The system aims to increase the reliability of railroad infrastructure, reduce maintenance costs, and minimize the number of overhead line faults caused by poorly maintained pantographs.

PKP S.A.

The innovative system, called DSAP (Detection of Pantograph Failure States), uses a set of sensors placed next to the track to diagnose the condition of pantographs as trains pass by. It creates a three-dimensional model of the pantograph and automatically identifies deviations from the reference condition. If a pantograph is found to be faulty, appropriate measures, such as changing the pantograph or stopping the train, can be taken to prevent overhead line damage.

The DSAP system has already been tested on the Warsaw – Katowice line (No. 1) and the suburban Warsaw – Grodzisk Mazowiecki line (447). More devices will be deployed on the most heavily trafficked sections of railroad lines, where installation is feasible. Reports from the monitoring equipment will be sent to traffic management centers and carriers, enabling them to take preventive action against overhead line damage caused by faulty pantographs. The system was built by Zakład Robót Komunikacyjnych – DOM in Poznań Sp. z o.o., with the work valued at nearly PLN 6.7 million.

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