Friction and wear behaviors of four kinds of pantograph strip/contact wire materials, metal impregnation carbon/pure copper, pure carbon/stainless steel, copper-impregnated metal carbon/stainless steel, pure carbon/pure copper were studied on a pin-on-disc friction and wear testing machine with electric current. The results indicate that the friction coefficient of metal impregnation carbon/pure copper couple is larger than those of the other three pairs. The wear volume of carbon strip material for the copper-impregnated metal carbon rubbing against copper is higher than those of pin samples for the other three pairs. For the four kinds of pairs,the main wear mechanisms are arc erosion, abrasive wear and oxidation wear. Moreover，the adhesive wear occurs in the process of the copper-impregnated metal carbon rubbing against pure copper. The copper impregnated metal carbon/pure copper couple is unsuitable for the pantograph strip/contact wire couple because the wear of copper-impregnated metal carbon is the severest when rubbing against the pure copper, and there is abnormal noise in the process of electrical sliding friction.