Postgraduate Diploma in Catenary, Trolley and Current Collection
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in catenary, trolley and current collection. 8 modules covering railway electrification systems, catenary geometry and mechanics, pantograph-catenary interaction to EN 50367, urban trolley systems, protection and earthing to EN 50122-1, and installation and maintenance to EN 50119, with an assigned technical tutor.
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Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Describe railway and urban electrification systems.
Define the geometry and components of the catenary.
Calculate catenary mechanics and its tensions.
Analyse the dynamic pantograph-catenary interaction.
Design trolley and urban current collection systems.
Apply protection and earthing criteria.
Plan the installation, inspection and maintenance of the overhead line.
Who it's for
- Railway electrification engineers who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Catenary designers who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Overhead contact line maintenance engineers who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Electrification site managers who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Rolling stock and current collection engineers who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Infrastructure inspection technicians who want to specialise in catenary, trolley and current collection.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter railway infrastructure.
What you'll work with
- EN 50119 (overhead contact lines for electric traction)
- EN 50367 (pantograph-catenary interaction)
- EN 50122-1 (protection and earthing)
- EN 50318 (validation of interaction simulation)
- EN 50317 (measurement of interaction)
- EN 50149 (grooved contact wires)
- EN 50163 (supply voltages)
- Regulation (EU) 1301/2014 (Energy TSI)
- AutoCAD
- ANSYS Mechanical
- MATLAB
- advanced Excel
8 modules
1.1Direct current at 600/750 V, 1.5 and 3 kV1.2Alternating current at 15 kV 16.7 Hz and 25 kV 50 Hz1.3Power supply system architecture1.4Tram, metro and high speed1.5Third rail versus overhead contact line1.6Twin-wire trolleybus system1.7Energy TSI and interoperability requirements1.8Supply voltages according to EN 501631.9Interfaces with infrastructure and rolling stock1.10Case study: choosing the system for a light metro
2.1Contact wire: materials and cross-sections2.2Messenger wire, droppers and stitch wire2.3Simple, compound and rigid catenary2.4Contact wire height and stagger2.5Cantilevers, registration arms and tubes2.6Masts, portals and foundations2.7Insulators and air-gap section insulation2.8Disconnectors and neutral sections2.9Overhead switches and crossings2.10Workshop: setting out a catenary tension length
3.1The catenary equation and sag calculation3.2Mechanical tension and automatic regulation3.3Balance weight and spring tensioning equipment3.4Thermal expansion and midpoint anchors3.5Wind and ice loads3.6Calculating maximum span lengths3.7Wave propagation speed3.8Doppler factor and reflection coefficient3.9Catenary design for high speed3.10Practical: calculating sags and tensions of a span
4.1Types of pantograph and contact strips4.2Static and dynamic contact force4.3Interaction criteria according to EN 503674.4Validation of simulations according to EN 503184.5Measurement of interaction according to EN 503174.6Electric arcing and loss of contact4.7Wear of the contact wire and contact strip4.8Running with multiple pantographs4.9Active pantographs and their control4.10Lab: analysis of contact force records
5.1Tram overhead line with simple suspension5.2Rigid catenary in tunnels5.3Trolleybus: wires, overhead switches and trolley poles5.4Trolley systems in mining and electric trucks5.5Third rail and collector shoe current collection5.6Ground-level power supply without catenary5.7Wire-free sections with batteries and supercapacitors5.8Urban integration and visual impact5.9Safety against contact on public roads5.10Case study: catenary-free section in a historic centre
6.1Electrical sectioning and feeders6.2Voltage drop and transmission capacity6.3Short-circuit currents in the contact line6.4Protection at the substation and on the line6.5Connection to the return circuit6.6Touch voltages according to EN 50122-16.7Stray currents in DC systems6.8Insulation clearances and electrical gauge6.9Lightning protection6.10Practical: verification of touch voltages
7.1Wiring and regulation of catenary7.2Wiring trains and installation machinery7.3Acceptance and measurement of the geometry7.4Inspection with a measurement vehicle7.5Thermography and hot-spot detection7.6Measuring contact wire wear7.7Preventive and corrective maintenance7.8Isolation and work near live parts7.9Managing pantograph entanglements7.10Workshop: maintenance plan for a 20 km section
8.1Defining the scope and type8.2Input data: alignment and speeds8.3Geometric design and setting out8.4Mechanical calculation and tensioning8.5Verification of dynamic interaction8.6Electrical design and sectioning8.7Earthing and electrical safety8.8Installation and maintenance plan8.9Report and presentation8.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
A 100% online programme on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine it with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is AutoCAD, ANSYS Mechanical, MATLAB and advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for dynamic measurement of pantograph-catenary interaction, catenary inspection and monitoring, and interaction simulation. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: EN 50119, EN 50367, EN 50122-1, EN 50318, EN 50317, EN 50149, EN 50163 and Regulation (EU) 1301/2014.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. A university degree is not required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You will work with AutoCAD, ANSYS Mechanical, MATLAB and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and your tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (a university degree is not required), an internet connection and a computer capable of running the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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