What is the system of overhead wires and support structures which supplies electrical power to trains?

• A. Overhead Contact System (OCS)
• B. Catenary
• C. Pantograph System
• D. Traction Network

Answer: (A)

The overhead power supply for electric trains is the fixed infrastructure that carries electrical energy to the train. This is best described as the overhead contact system, which includes the contact wire and its supporting structures, insulators, and feeders that make a continuous power path to the train. The pantograph on the train is just the device that touches the wire to draw power; it’s part of the train, not the fixed system itself. While catenary refers to the arrangement of the wire, the formal term for the complete overhead power delivery installation is the overhead contact system. The other terms either refer to the train’s equipment or to a less precise description of the system.