Discussion on Design of Catenary-Free Urban Rail Transit Vehicle Depots

Objective The rapid development of energy storage technology and the realization of train catenary-free self-propulsion functions have made it possible to operate vehicle depots without overhead catenary systems or third rails. However, there have been no reports on catenary-free vehicle depots to date. To fill this technical gap and promote the engineering application of catenary-free depots, it is necessary to conduct a systematic study on such vehicle depot design.

Method Starting from the operational requirements of catenary-free vehicle depots, and fully considering the needs of vehicle maintenance, shunting operations within the depot, and safety assurance, a train energy storage system design scheme integrating various electrical operating conditions is proposed. The optimal capacity of the energy storage system is calculated, and changes in maintenance procedures and equipment configurations after removing overhead catenary system or third rail are comparatively analyzed. The economic feasibility is evaluated, and the practicality of catenary-free depots is verified through on-site operational testing.

Result & Conclusion  By equipping trains with appropriately rated onboard energy storage systems, the operational requirements of catenary-free vehicle depots can be effectively met. Such depots can significantly reduce infrastructure investment and subsequent maintenance costs, ensure personnel safety, and improve maintenance and dispatching efficiency. On-site operational tests have also fully validated the feasibility and practicality of the catenary-free vehicle depot.