Abstract: Temperature rise due to wheel/rail friction greatly affects rolling contact failure of wheel/rail, such as wear, flatting, checking and so on. Complexity and particularity of wheel/rail in rolling contact make it very difficult to measure directly. Heat coupling model of rolling/sliding of wheel/rail was proposed to calculate the temperature rise by finite element method. Non-steady heat conduction between the contacting surfaces of the wheel/rail, heat-convection and radiation between the wheel/rail at ambient condition was taken into consideration. Effect of the expansion rate of contact patch, due to wear of material, on the frictional temperature was analyzed in pure slide of wheel on rail. Under the wheel rolling-sliding at high speed, the effects of creepages, frictional coefficients and wheel loads on the temperature were also investigated. It is found that all factors as showed above were closely related to temperature distribution and thermal fatigue of wheel/rail in rolling contact at high speed.