Effect of railway cutting depths on running safety and pantograph–catenary interaction of trains under crosswind

Crosswind stability of trains is significantly affected by running safety and pantograph–catenary interaction, which are dependent on the depths of railway cuttings. Under crosswind with wind speed of 30 m/s and yaw angle of 30°, the aerodynamic loads and surrounding flow of the train and pantograph in the cuttings with different depths (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 m) were investigated using numerical simulations. A dynamic model of the pantograph–catenary interaction was established and employed to analyze the contact force. The head car was the most critical even after accounting for the pantograph under crosswind. The head car was better protected against crosswind as the cutting became deeper. The pantograph–catenary interaction was optimal in the cutting with a depth of 6 m. The time-averaged contact force was excessively large in the shallow cutting, whereas the contact loss occurred in the deep cutting. The depth of the cutting had a different effect on running safety and pantograph–catenary interaction. Hence, a balance between the running safety and pantograph–catenary interaction should be considered in the cutting. According to the fitting results, the appropriate range of cutting depth is 4.6–6.5 m. Overall, these conclusions provide insight into the effect of cutting depths on the crosswind stability of trains and indicate the importance of the pantograph–catenary interaction in the design of railway cuttings.