In order to solve the problem of inaccurate fault location in the transmission network under some abnormal conditions, such as traveling wave location device faults, startup failure and time recording error, a novel traveling wave fault location method based on directed tree model and linear fitting is proposed. A directed tree model of the fault traveling wave transmission along the shortest path is established based on graph theory analysis of traveling wave transmission network. Two straight lines are fitted on the coordinate plane where the accurate fault location is obtained direct by coordinate information of the intersection of these two fitted straight lines (FSLs), according to the transmission characteristics of the fault traveling wave in the directed tree model. The wave velocity is used as the slope of the fitted straight line, and the influence of its uncertainty on the fault location is eliminated. The time record error points of the location device are automatically eliminated in the linear fitting. PSCAD simulation results prove that fault information of the entire transmission network is comprehensively utilized by the proposed method and the ring network is automatically unlooped. The reliability and accuracy of fault location are remarkably improved, particularly for the fault scenarios with recorded information abnormity. INDEX TERMS Transmission network, fault location, traveling wave, directed tree model, linear fitting.