The design of current collection system of high speed train requires the fundamental understandings for the dynamic characteristics of catenary system and pantograph. The stiffness of catenary system of high speed train has the varying characteristics for the change of contact point with pantograph, since the supporting pole and hanger make the different boundary conditions for the up-down stiffness of a trolley wire. The variation of stiffness results in Mathiue equation, which characterizes the stability of the system. However, the two-term variation of the stiffness due to span length and hanger distance cannot be solved analytically. In this paper, the stiffness variations are calculated and the physical reasoning of linear model and one term Mathieu equation are reviewed. And the numerical analysis for the two-term variation of the stiffness is done for the several design parameters of pantograph.