FTA issues safety advisory on OCS, pantograph reliability

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) yesterday issued an advisory to address emerging safety risks related to Overhead Catenary System (OCS) and pantograph reliability across rail transit systems.

In Safety Advisory 26-01, FTA officials recommend State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) direct Rail Transit Agencies (RTAs) within their jurisdiction to identify hazards related to OCS and pantograph failures, conduct safety risk assessments, identify safety risk mitigations as necessary and monitor the effectiveness of those mitigations.

The FTA recommends that documentation related to recommended actions be obtained from the RTAs and submitted to the State Safety Oversight Reporting system within 180 days. The agency offers data analysis and resources to help SSOAs and RTAs monitor performance, identify hazards, assess risk, and implement effective mitigations, FTA officials said in a press release.

In November 2025, the FTA warned all SSOAs that deferred maintenance on aging infrastructure was causing serious weaknesses in OCS safety and reliability, resulting in energized wires contacting passenger vehicles, pantograph entanglements and downed live wires.

Subsequent analysis of 10 events between December 2025 and March 2026 showed recurring patterns indicative of systemic, rather than isolated, risks, FTA officials said. Further analysis found routine inspections that appeared satisfactory right before the event, showing that current checks often miss hidden or subtle defects, they added.