Railway Catenary Wires

Eland Cables is the leading supplier of Network Rail approved catenary wires, also known as trolley wires. These form part of our portfolio of railway overhead line conductors and they are used in most major electrification projects across the United Kingdom, including the Great Western Main Line.

Our catenary wires are manufactured in a state-of-the-art production facility which has been successfully audited by Achilles on behalf of Network Rail. As importantly, our products are known across the industry for their quality and their operational reliability.

Catenary Wire PADS numbers

Catenary Wire Specification

Eland Cables' catenary wires were designed specifically for the Railway industry. Available in Bronze II (PADS: 91/012330) or in Hard-Drawn Copper (PADS 91/010269), they are used to transmit power along the length of an overhead system which is then connected to the contact wire by dropper wires.

The Hard-Drawn stranded Copper conductor is constructed of 19 single wires, each wire being 3.20mm in diameter and having a nominal cross-sectional areas of 150mm². The Bronze II stranded conductor has a total of 19 wires, 2 of which are bronze with the others constructed of Copper Magnesium. Each wire has a diameter of 2.1mm and a nominal cross-sectional area of 70mm². 

Catenary Wire Technical Data

Our engineers have a wealth of technical experience in the design, manufacture and supply of trolley wire and are available to support specification. Our offering includes UK-based storage, cutting to length, and just-in-time delivery. Please speak to our rail industry experts for more information on catenary wire and the full range of OHL cables including flexible stranded conductors, contact wires, the Centipede ATF, and Hornet and Cockroach AAC wires.