Hampshire To House The World's First Solar-Powered Rail Line

The electricity grid will no longer hamper the fulfillment of solar energy as the world’s first solar farm is scheduled to plug into the trackside site close to Aldershot, Hampshire, England. Previously, solar panels have been adopted to charge several train stations in the country, but that’s the first time solar energy ducks out of the electricity grid, moving into a “traction” system. 

The solar farm, consisting of 100 solar panels, is expected to generate an average of 30kW which will power the lights and signaling system on Wessex route. Once successful, the scheme could lay the first stone for the implementation of solar energy directly charging the trains operating on this track. 

Solar power to replace diesel within the rail industry

Network Rail, the infrastructure manager of most of the rail network in Great Britain, has been spending billions of pounds with the purpose to get rid of the need for diesel. That’s where the idea for the solar farm came from since the renewable energy has gained much popularity in the country. 

While implementing the project, Network Rail expected this technology to be rolled out across its network including commuter lines in London, Nottingham, Edinburgh, and more. The practice helps the company to reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emitted from the vehicles, and particularly operation costs. In the meantime, the UK government has planned to completely remove diesel from the rail network by 2040. 

It is estimated that solar electricity has the ability to power 20% of Liverpool’s Merseyrail network, as well as 15% of rail lines in Kent, Sussex, and Wessex. The team also has the ambition for setting up solar farms in Edinburgh, Nottingham, Manchester, and London. 

The UK wouldn’t be the only country to house solar-powered trains. Earlier, India has equipped 250 vehicles within its rail system with solar panels affixed directly to the roof. Because of the panels’ weight, the trains require more energy to operate than usual. Therefore, the country plans to install 30GW solar farms on some of its 51,000 hectares vacant land to become the first 100% “green” rail industry in the world.