Shinkansen bullet trains and other rolling stock run by receiving power from contact wires above the track through pantograph units fitted to their rooftops. Due to the structure where pantographs and contact wire are in contact, in the worst cases the contact wires break due to the effects of friction, preventing trains from running. To prevent this, conventional warning systems place a metal detection line inside the contact wire and monitor friction based on the presence or absence of a flowing current. However, this approach means that detection can only be performed at night when no noise is produced by running trains.

Jointly developed by Central Japan Railway Company and Proterial, the Fiber-optic Warning System for Contact Wire uses optical fiber detection wires to enable a constant monitoring function that monitors even during the day. It also supports the pinpoint identification of wear positions and helps users understand the status of wear in real time. The introduction of this system will reduce the workload for maintaining contact wires and help improve the quality of railroad maintenance.

Proterial will continue to respond to increasingly diverse needs as it strives to develop the high-performance materials that support social infrastructure.