Solar Powered Railways

Industrial areas are often cited as prime locations for solar panels, such as the rooftops of warehouses. A Swiss company is experimenting with solar in a new, and perhaps unexpected, industrial location – railway tracks.

Figure 1: Sunlight upon a railway. [1]

Leading the Sun-Way

Sun-Ways, a small startup founded in 2022, hopes to innovate upon European railway infrastructure by installing solar panels which lay between the tracks of rail lines, turning the sunlight which falls upon the tracks into train fuel and supplementary power for signals.  Sun-Ways notes there exists 1,000,000km2 of land under railways that is currently used for nothing. Hence it argues that this is a prime opportunity to generate clean energy in areas with reduced external considerations, such as visual or environmental impact [2].

A Pilot Study

A pilot study to test the concept was carried out upon a 100-metre section of rail line in active use. The panels are laid by a specialised train which is also used for carrying out track maintenance. You can even see this process in a video on Sun-Ways website. The train can install up to five hundred panels a day. However, unlike rooftops or fields where solar is typically located, railway lines need to be maintained with regular upkeep. As such, the same train which installs the panels, can remove them, carry out the needed maintenance, and then reinstall the panels so they can continue soaking up the sunlight.

The pilot was approved by the Swiss government and proceeded. The panels withstood both high train speeds, and high wind speeds, demonstrating their durability and successful coexistence with rail infrastructure.

Will it Work in Practice?

Practical concerns have been raised with the viability of the project, which Sun-Ways has addressed. Including the following:

• Theft of panels – theft of electrical infrastructure from public transport ways is a continuing issue, such as cooper cable theft. However Sun-Ways cites the panels require specialist tools to required to remove them, and their markings make them easy to track.
• Visual impact upon train drivers – developers of solar installations in the vicinity of rail lines will know that careful assessment of potential reflections towards train drivers must be undertaken to ensure safety. Sun-Ways reassures that glare analysis is carried out for all projects as standard.
• Cleaning – panels are most efficient when they are clean. A specially designed brush is installed to the front of a train which cleans the panels as they are driven over, ensuring they remain clean and efficient.

Conclusion

Sun-Ways is confident, both in the viability of its project, and the potential gains for the environment. The startup is also reaching to international partners across the globe aiming for widespread adoption. While there are obstacles to overcome, such as cost effectiveness and government approval, the potential gains of track mounted solar are significant.

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References

[1] Krivec Ales (2017) from Pexels.com. Last accessed on 14th April 2025. Available at: https://www.pexels.com/photo/train-railway-near-trees-552779/

[2] Sun-Ways, (2022) Pilot Project. Available at: https://www.sun-ways.ch/en/blank-2 (Accessed 12/03/2025)https://www.pagerpower.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/solar-powered-trains-thumbnail.jpeg