India has always relied on its vast railway network as the backbone of transport and trade. But as the world’s fourth-largest railway system, it also consumes an enormous amount of electricity. With the global climate crisis intensifying, Indian Railways has pledged to achieve Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030. To achieve this, it is embracing one of the most innovative green technologies seen in the transport sector—solar panels installed directly between railway tracks.

On August 15, 2025, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated the nation’s first-ever removable solar panel system placed between the tracks. This pilot project represents a bold step forward in clean energy adoption, land-efficient infrastructure, and sustainable mobility.

🌞 Why Solar Panels on Railway Tracks?

Railways need massive amounts of electricity for traction (running trains), lighting, and operations at stations and yards. Traditionally, this power is drawn from fossil fuel-based grids.

The challenge with renewable energy is land—large solar parks demand vast tracts of land, which is often scarce and expensive in densely populated countries like India.

By utilizing the unused space between railway tracks, Indian Railways has unlocked a smart solution:

• It generates electricity without land acquisition.

• It turns existing infrastructure into energy assets.

• It reduces operational costs while cutting emissions.

This concept has been tested in countries like the Netherlands and Germany, but India’s adoption at scale could set a global benchmark.

🚆 The Varanasi Pilot Project

The pilot at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) spans a 70-meter stretch of track, fitted with:

• 28 bifacial monocrystalline solar panels

• 15 kWp total installed capacity

• Efficiency >21% with 144 half-cut PERC bifacial cells

• Weight: 31.83 kg per panel

• Dimensions: 2278 × 1133 × 30 mm

These panels are removable and modular. Mounted on concrete sleepers with epoxy adhesive and rubber vibration-dampening pads, they can be detached quickly by loosening just four stainless steel Allen bolts.

👉 This design ensures that routine track maintenance—such as rail replacement or inspection—can continue without major disruption.

⚡ Power Generation Potential

The pilot is small, but the potential is enormous. Here’s what the numbers look like:

• Per kilometer capacity: 220 kWp

• Daily energy output per km: ~880 units

• Annual energy output per km: ~3.21 lakh units

If scaled across thousands of kilometers of track (especially in yards, depots, and non-critical lines), the system could generate hundreds of millions of clean electricity units annually.

This energy can power:

• Station buildings and offices

• Signaling and communication systems

• Yard facilities and workshops

• Even support the charging infrastructure for future battery-electric locomotives

🌍 Environmental & Economic Benefits

1. Cutting Emissions
   Indian Railways is one of the largest consumers of electricity in the country. By shifting to renewable energy, it will significantly reduce carbon emissions—equivalent to planting millions of trees annually.

2. Saving Money
   Energy costs form a big chunk of railway expenses. Generating power on-site reduces dependence on grid power and saves thousands of crores in the long run.

3. No Extra Land Use
   Land acquisition is one of the costliest hurdles in solar projects. This innovation bypasses the problem completely by utilizing existing railway track space.

4. Job Creation
   The manufacturing, installation, and maintenance of these solar systems will create new green jobs in engineering, electrical work, and solar panel production.

5. Global Leadership
   India could become the first country with a large-scale solar railway track system, inspiring other nations with crowded geographies to adopt similar strategies.

🛠️ How This Fits Into Indian Railways’ Net Zero Mission

Indian Railways has already electrified over 90% of its network, with plans to reach nearly 100% by 2030. Electrification has cut dependence on diesel, but electricity still comes largely from coal-based power plants.

By integrating renewable energy:

• Electrified trains will increasingly run on solar and wind power.

• Railway stations will become energy self-sufficient hubs.

• The carbon footprint of India’s railways will shrink dramatically.

This solar track project is part of a broader sustainability roadmap that includes:

• Solar rooftops on stations and depots

• Onsite wind energy in select regions

• Energy-efficient LED lighting across the network

• Green certification for railway stations

📊 Scaling the Idea: Imagine the Impact

India’s railway network covers around 1.2 lakh kilometers of track. Even if just 10% of non-critical tracks were fitted with solar panels, the numbers would be staggering:

• Installed capacity: 26,400 MW (26.4 GW)

• Daily generation: ~1.05 billion units

• Annual generation: ~384 billion units

That’s enough electricity to power tens of millions of households, while simultaneously greening the transport sector.

🌐 International Context

Countries like the Netherlands have experimented with solar bike paths, while Germany has tested solar panels along railways. However, India’s adoption stands out for three reasons:

1. Scale – The Indian Railways is among the largest in the world.

2. Land Pressure – India faces high population density and land scarcity, making land-efficient solutions critical.

3. Policy Push – With strong government backing, projects like this can scale rapidly.

If successful, this innovation could become an exportable technology—designed, tested, and perfected in India, but sold globally.

💡 Challenges Ahead

While the pilot is promising, several challenges must be addressed before scaling:

• Durability: Can the panels withstand constant vibration, heat, and dust?

• Safety: Ensuring panels do not interfere with train wheels or braking systems.

• Maintenance: Regular cleaning is essential to maintain efficiency, especially in dusty areas.

• Cost-effectiveness: Large-scale deployment will need affordable panel manufacturing.

However, with BLW’s indigenous design and India’s growing solar manufacturing ecosystem, these hurdles can be overcome.

📝 Final Thoughts

The Varanasi pilot project is more than just a local innovation. It symbolizes how India is turning its infrastructure challenges into opportunities. By transforming railway tracks into solar energy generators, India is rewriting the future of sustainable transport.

If this initiative scales successfully, Indian Railways could become the world’s first fully solar-powered national railway system. From Varanasi to every corner of the country, the journey toward a cleaner, greener, and smarter future has already begun.