Solar Panels on Railway Tracks: A First in India for Green Energy

Varanasi (Uttam Hindu News): Indian Railways has created history by taking another big step towards self-reliance in the field of energy. For the first time in the country, electricity production has been started by installing solar panels between the railway tracks in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This unique initiative has been taken in the premises of Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) located in Varanasi, where the solar panels installed on the track have been successfully started.

According to the information given by the railways, under this pilot project, a total of 28 solar panels have been installed on a 70 meter long track in the BLW campus. The total capacity of these panels is 15 kilowatt-peak (KWp) and they are expected to generate about 67 units of electricity per day. This solar power plant was inaugurated on Friday, August 15 on the occasion of Independence Day.

Railway officials said that these solar panels have been designed and installed in such a way that they will not affect the rail traffic. Rubber mounting pads have been installed on the tracks to control the vibrations caused by the passage of trains. Apart from this, the panels are fastened with stainless steel bolts, which can be easily opened and removed during track maintenance.

This successful experiment can open a new way of energy production for the railways. According to officials, this technology can be expanded to other railway yards and fixed tracks across the country in the future. This step will prove to be an important milestone towards achieving the goal of 'net zero carbon emission' of Indian Railways.