Collector Strips

A contact strip is a part of the current collector that takes the current from the overhead line or contact wire so that it can be conducted into the vehicle interior. In principle, collector strips can be made of any material that has electrically conductive properties. Graphite and aluminum alloy are used in particular.

During travel, the contact strip is in constant contact with the overhead contact line and grinds continuously on the contact wire, allowing the current to be conducted to the main switch via the pantograph. Since changing the overhead contact line is very time-consuming, a comparatively soft material is usually selected for the collector shoe so that wear on the overhead contact line is minimized and is more likely to be transferred to the collector shoe.

To prevent breakage of the collector shoe, newer collectors are equipped with a so-called contact strip monitoring system, which is intended to prevent the collector shoe from tearing down the line in the event of breakage.