Never heard of cancellations on the Trans-Siberian due to cold weather. Wiring is kept under constant tension by weights through pulleys there, so if wires get shorter, the wights just raise up, then go back down again when it gets warmer. There are special de-icing pantographs that vibrate and kick the ice off, etc.
Well then, it sounds like they just need to extend their routes further south until the entire consist thaws and can return safely to service!The freeze damaged equipment is another factor. Certain trains do not enter indoor facilities after every trip and don't have time to defrost. Ultimately, the equipment fails.
For an extreme example see the new catenary at New London station! Lots of metal suspended in the sky!There is no technical reason that constant-tension catenary could not be installed through Gap. It is a matter of appropriate placement of support structures and the anchorage weights. The horizontal and vertical curves and the grades are parameters in the design process. Unlike the PRR fixed catenary that follows the curve, constant tension is a series of chords. Sharp curves require lots of structures (reference the New Haven to Boston section along Long Island Sound), but it certainly can be done.
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