Method for operating a rail vehicle when passing through separation locations in a vehicle-external power supply , wherein the rail vehicle comprises: - at least one current collector for receiving electrical energy from the power supply ; - a main transformer for transforming the received electrical energy provided on a primary side of the main transformer to a desired voltage level on a secondary side of the main transformer ; - a first current converter , which can be operated either as a rectifier for rectifying a voltage transformed by the main transformer for supplying power to a DC voltage link of the rail vehicle or as an inverter for supplying electrical energy to the main transformer from a DC voltage link ; and - a further current converter , which can be operated as a rectifier and can be fed with electrical energy by the main transformer; wherein the method comprises: - applying an alternating voltage to the secondary side of the main transformer by means of the first current converter operated as a rectifier when the rail vehicle passes through a separation location of the power supply , characterized in that , when said rail vehicle passes through the separation location , the further current converter is operated as a rectifier and is fed with electrical energy by the main transformer . wherein the rail vehicle comprises: - at least one current collector for receiving electrical energy from the power supply ; - a main transformer for transforming the received electrical energy provided on a primary side of the main transformer to a desired voltage level on a secondary side of the main transformer ; - a first current converter , which can be operated either as a rectifier for rectifying a voltage transformed by the main transformer for supplying power to a DC voltage link of the rail vehicle or as an inverter for supplying electrical energy to the main transformer from a DC voltage link ; and - a further current converter , which can be operated as a rectifier and can be fed with electrical energy by the main transformer; - at least one current collector for receiving electrical energy from the power supply ; - a main transformer for transforming the received electrical energy provided on a primary side of the main transformer to a desired voltage level on a secondary side of the main transformer ; - a first current converter , which can be operated either as a rectifier for rectifying a voltage transformed by the main transformer for supplying power to a DC voltage link of the rail vehicle or as an inverter for supplying electrical energy to the main transformer from a DC voltage link ; and - a further current converter , which can be operated as a rectifier and can be fed with electrical energy by the main transformer; wherein the method comprises: - applying an alternating voltage to the secondary side of the main transformer by means of the first current converter operated as a rectifier when the rail vehicle passes through a separation location of the power supply , - applying an alternating voltage to the secondary side of the main transformer by means of the first current converter operated as a rectifier when the rail vehicle passes through a separation location of the power supply , characterized in that , when said rail vehicle passes through the separation location , the further current converter is operated as a rectifier and is fed with electrical energy by the main transformer . <EOS>