Promoted Content: Improving Overhead Equipment Devices for a New Era of Railway Transportation

The railway network is the backbone of the Indian transportation system, connecting remote villages and towns with metropolitan cities across the country. Recent government initiatives aim to revamp and modernise the entire network by 2030 and the past couple of years have already brought many changes to the rail system. From a technological perspective, we can expect two notable changes to Indian railways: the introduction of electric and solar-powered trains and an increase in the operating speeds of trains from 100 km/h to 160–220 km/h. To support these plans, suitable modifications must be made to the existing infrastructure and components, such as the overhead equipment (OHE), including catenary and contact lines, as well as pantograph assemblies.

Raychem RPG, a pioneer in innovative energy solutions for various sectors, has a dedicated team working on products that can meet the challenging requirements of the evolving railway network. The team of scientists and researchers, led by Mr. Ishant Jain, has improved the designs of autotensioning devices (ATD) and modular cantilevers (MC), two of the most critical components of the railway's overhead equipment, using multiphysics simulation.