CL60 wheel steel against U71Mn rail steel was chosen as friction pair. The effect of slip rate on adhesion characteristics and surface damage of heavy haul train wheel and rail was studied by using a self-designed wheel-rail rolling contact wear testing machine. The results indicate that the slip rate has a significant influence on the adhesion characteristics of wheel-rail. With the increase of slip rate, the adhesion coefficient of wheelrail increases; slip rate affects the volume of wheel-rail which increases with the increase of slip; the value of wheel -rail surface hardness will be larger than before when the slip rate increases; the wear mechanisms of wheel-rail gradually changes under the different slip rate. During the rolling friction, the surface wear mechanisms is mainly abrasive wear. The wear mechanisms is changed from slightly abrasive to adhesion wear with the increase of slip rate, and the degree of the wheel sample surface damage is larger than that of the rail sample under the same slip rate.