Switching operations of the disconnecting switch (DS) within high‐voltage gas‐insulated substations generate very fast transient electromagnetic interferences. Fast front pulses induced by these interferences produce high‐level transient currents that can lead to disturbed voltage output of Rogowski coil current transformers (RCTs). Predicting the transient characteristics of RCTs requires the implementation of accurate simulation models of the Rogowski coil. Concentrating on the DS operation process, this paper analyzes the performance of the lumped parameter model (LPM) and the distributed parameter model (DPM) available in the literature by means of comparisons in the time domain and frequency domain between two models, as well as comparisons between simulation results and measurement results in terms of the waveform properties and the distribution of amplitude. It is confirmed that the simulation results based on the DPM show better agreement with the measurements than those based on the LPM. It is also indicated that the maximum amplitude of the RCT output is approximately 580 mV with the dominant frequency of 2 MHz during the fast transient. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.