Abstract: Apparatus and method for measuring height and stagger of a railway catenary is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a platform supported on the track having a distance measuring means mounted on a traversing means for angular or lateral displacement of the distance measuring means in a vertical plane transverse and perpendicular to the track. The apparatus has a means for measuring the displacement of the measuring means. The method comprises positioning the platform on the track beneath the catenary, traversing the distance measuring means through a displacement into an alignment along a line of sight with the catenary, measuring the distance to the catenary, measuring the displacement of the distance measuring means, and calculating the height and stagger from the distance and displacement measurements.