Several experimental tests on the effect of the staggering on wear of the contact strip with electrical current are performed on a block-on-ring type tester. During testing, the electric current and voltage of arc discharge, temperature and wear loss of the contact strip are collected. The topography of the worn surface is observed. Results show that the staggering has a large effect on the wear of the contact strip. The wear rate of the contact strip without staggering is less than those with

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... he staggering values of 35-55 mm. The temperature of the contact strip decreases but the arc discharge energy increases with increasing staggering value. Thermal wear and arc erosion are two main mechanisms for the wear of the contact strip.