Aiming　at　the　frequent　abnormal　wear　phenomenon　of　pantograph-catenary　systems　in　domestic　urban　rail　transit　in　recent　years,　the　anomaly　of　pantograph-catenary　contact　behaviour　from　nearly　10　subway　lines　are　sorted　out　from　the　perspectives　of　structural　characteristics,　temporal　and　spatial　attributes　of　fault　phenomena,　and　treatment　measures.　The　main　research　results　regarding　the　influence　of　contact　force,　current,　arc,　and　other　factors　on　the　wear　of　pantograph　and　catenary　system　are　analysed;　The　researches　on　the　wear　mechanism　of　pantograph　and　catenary　system　are　discussed;　A　wear　model　of　the　pantograph-catenary　system　proposed　by　foreign　research　teams　is　introduced.　Based　on　the　current　status　analysis　of　engineering　and　scientific　research,　the　root　cause　analysis　method　of　the　abnormal　wear　of　pantograph　and　catenary　system　is　formulated　from　the　wear　model;　From　the　perspectives　of　the　ground　test,　line　test,　and　simulation　analysis,　data　processing　technology,　etc.,　the　methods　available　for　verifying　and　validating　the　cause　of　abnormal　wear　are　sorted　out,　together　with　introducing　the　method　of　segmenting　operating　data　between　rigid　conductor　overlaps　and　sections　.　Aiming　at　the　hot　topics　of　abnormal　wear,　the　quantitative　evaluation　of　system　performance　affected　by　wear　groove　on　pantograph　strip　and　rigid　conductor　stagger　arrangement　is　realized　by　using　simulation　technology.　Referring　to　the　standards　analysis　of　pantograph　and　catenary　system,　the　application　and　maintenance　measures　to　inhibit　abnormal　wear　are　introduced.　Finally,　a　framework　dealing　with　the　abnormal　wear　of　pantograph-catenary　contact　pairs　is　proposed,　which　includes　four　stages:　abnormal　wear　definition　and　evaluation,　root　cause　analysis,　causes　verification　and　validation,　and　maintaining　control.　Based　on　the　status　analysis　results　and　the　proposed　framework,　the　future　exploration　content　of　scientific　and　engineering　problems　has　been　prospected.　The　results　of　the　study　would　provide　technical　and　management　references　for　the　relevant　units　of　urban　rail　transit　to　deal　with　the　abnormal　wear　of　pantograph　and　catenary　systems.　©　2023　Editorial　Office　of　Chinese　Journal　of　Mechanical　Engineering.　All　rights　reserved.