With the development of power transmission system, modern railway transportation system, industrial generators and other fields, the current-carrying friction behavior of pantograph/catenary system (hereinafter referred to as pantograph/catenary system) has attracted much attention. The pantograph-catenary system is the key current receiving part of the electric locomotive. The pantograph needs to obtain electric energy from the catenary when working. Its stability and current receiving quality are related to the reliable and good operation of the electric locomotive. This paper introduces the basic characteristics of current-carrying friction and its evaluation and analysis methods, and expounds four main factors in pantograph-catenary system, namely, tribological parameters, current -carrying parameters, environmental conditions and friction pair materials. The main wear mechanism and the influence of arc ablation in the current-carrying friction process of pantograph-catenary system are mainly discussed. Finally, the full text is summarized and the future research direction is proposed.