PurposeThe rapid development of China’s railway construction has led to an increase in data generated by the high-speed rail (HSR) catenary system. Traditional management methods struggle with challenges such as poor information sharing, disconnected business applications and insufficient intelligence throughout the lifecycle. This study aims to address these issues by applying building information modeling (BIM) technology to improve lifecycle management efficiency for HSR catenary systems.Design/methodology/approachBased on the lifecycle management needs of catenary engineering, incorporating the intelligent HSR “Model-Data Driven, Axis-Plane Coordination” philosophy, this paper constructs a BIM-based lifecycle management framework for HSR catenary engineering.FindingsThis study investigates the full-process lifecycle management of the catenary system across various stages of design, manufacture, construction and operation, exploring integrated BIM models and data transmission methods, along with key technologies for BIM model transmission, transformation and lightweighting.Originality/valueThis study establishes a lossless information circulation and transmission system for HSR catenary lifecycle management. Multi-stage applications are verified through the construction of the Chongqing–Kunming High-Speed Railway, comprehensive advancing the intelligent promotion and high-quality development of catenary engineering.