Based on a brief description of the insulation gap breakdown faults that have occurred in the overhead con-tact system at the EMU repair shed of the EMU depot in Shanghai Hongqiao in recent years,the paper introduces the arrangement of the electrical sectioning and section insulator of the overhead contact system,and the installation form of section insulator.By decomposing the maintenance process after the EMU entering the shed,simulating the opera-tion of raising or lowering the pantograph,switching on or off the main circuit breaker of EMU,testing voltage of the overhead contact system,it is analyzed and determined that switching overvoltage is the reason for the breakdown of the insulation gap between the section insulators and the insulation gap between the overhead contact system and steel truss girder.Optimization measures for the selection and installation form of the section insulator is proposed.Af-ter optimization,there was no insulation gap breakdown fault in the overhead contact system at the EMU repair shed of the EMU depot in Shanghai Hongqiao again.