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With the increase in the capacity of modern electric rolling stock providing freight and passenger transportation, the problem of transmitting large traction currents remains relevant, caused by the low load capacity of the pantograph, which can lead to overheating and annealing of the contact inserts with a subsequent decrease in their strength, peeling of graphite from the copper shell, and increased wear. The article considers the classification of various methods for increasing the load capacity of pantographs, the most promising of which is cooling their runners. The disadvantages of the known active and passive runner cooling systems include the need to use additional mechanisms and units to remove heat from the heated parts, which work effectively only when the electric rolling stock is moving or at a standstill. To eliminate this drawback, the authors proposed a technical solution for a pantograph runner equipped with heat pipes and capable of successfully operating in various operating modes of electric rolling stock. To test the operability of the proposed technical solution, its mathematical model was created in the SolidWorks software environment, which, using the FlowSimulation application, allows modeling the thermal processes occurring in the pantograph runner. When using heat pipes in the runner design, the heating temperature is distributed more evenly along its length, thereby improving the conditions for heat dissipation into the environment, which will allow higher load currents to pass through. The results of mathematical modeling of thermal processes in the pantograph runner in the SolidWorks software environment are confirmed by experimental studies on a specialized installation. The use of the proposed device facilitates a more uniform distribution of heat over the surface of the runner, reducing the heating of the contact inserts and increasing the load capacity of the pantograph and the reliability of its operation under conditions of high-speed, high-speed and heavy-haul train movement.