Transient EHL analysis for line contacts with measured surface roughness is performed by using the multigrid method. Results show that the transient effect, induced by surface roughness, has a remarkable influence on pressure distribution and the film thickness profile. Pressure fluctuation increases with the relative sliding speed between the contact surfaces. For simple sliding with stationary surface roughness, the roughness profile is almost flattened. When the rough surface moves, the elastically deformed surface roughness, in the contact zone, increases with the moving speed. As the moving speed of surface roughness equals to or exceeds the rolling speed, the roughness of the deformed surface profile in the contact zone is close to the roughness of the undeformed roughness profile.