An electrical cable coupling, in particular for a mechanical buffer coupling of a rail vehicle, comprising first and second coupling heads each including a contact carrier with a recess therein. One of the coupling heads includes two spaced centering pins and the other of the coupling heads includes two spaced bushings into which the centering pins are engaged to center the coupling heads with each other. A photoconductor insert is detachably and resiliently mounted into each of the recesses. One of the inserts has a protruding portion which fits into a recessed portion of the other of the inserts. A spring-loaded photoconductor member is shiftably mounted in the protruding portion and aligned with a fixed photoconductor mounted in the recessed portion. The recessed portion is covered by a slotted gate structure which is movable by sword-shaped lugs on the other coupling head.