Review of Catenary Icing on High‐Speed Railways: Characteristics, Impact and Countermeasures

ABSTRACT The pantograph–catenary system (PCS) is the only path for electrified railway trains to acquire energy. Catenary icing during winter is a common natural phenomenon, which usually leads to the deterioration of the current quality and severely affects the operational safety of trains. To address the effects of complex and harsh environments on the PCS, this study reviews and outlooks the problems of catenary icing from the three main aspects: the characteristics of catenary icing, the impacts of icing and the countermeasures. Firstly, the mechanism and characteristics of catenary icing, including the growth mechanisms, evolution patterns and prediction models are investigated. Secondly, the impact of catenary icing on pantograph–catenary current collection and catenary galloping is analysed, and new technologies for real‐time icing monitoring are discussed. Lastly, key technologies for catenary anti‐icing, de‐icing and active matching strategies are introduced. This review addresses the challenges of catenary icing and summarises the current research progress, providing a valuable foundation and practical guidance for advancing future studies in this field.