The first solar power plant on a railway track.

Switzerland has inaugurated the world's first solar power plant with panels directly installed on an active railway line.

Solar panels installed on the railway track in Val-de-Travers district. Photo: Sun-Ways

Swiss company Sun-Ways has handed over a railway solar panel system in western Switzerland, featuring 48 photovoltaic modules across 100 meters of track, each with a capacity of 385 W. This is the world's first solar panel system located on an active railway track, according to Railway Supply. With a total capacity of 18 kW, this solar power plant is expected to produce 16 MWh of electricity annually, supplying the public grid 500 meters away. Passenger trains were scheduled to begin running over the system on April 28.

Using a specialized train from its partner Scheuchzer, Sun-Ways installed the system mechanically. The machine can install nearly 1,000 square meters of solar panels in just a few hours, making the process fast and cost-effective. The project is located in Buttes, Val-de-Travers district, on railway line 221 operated by the Neuchâtel canton's public transport company, transN. The panels are coated with an anti-reflective layer to prevent glare, and cleaning tools, such as cylindrical brushes mounted on trains, help maintain efficiency by removing dust and debris.

The Swiss Federal Office of Transport (FOT) approved the removable solar power plant project in October 2024. Following this, the plant underwent a series of tests and analyses to ensure it met all necessary requirements. Sun-Ways plans to continue testing for the next three years, focusing on the panel coating, ground effects, and the system's impact on railway infrastructure, with the goal of confirming long-term safety when trains operate over the track-mounted solar array.

A recent international research team conducted a technical and economic assessment to examine the feasibility of installing solar panel systems in the middle or alongside railway tracks. Their findings indicated that such projects are not only economically viable but also offer commercial potential. However, critics highlight two main issues that could limit the performance of solar panels installed above or near railway tracks: dirt/dust accumulation and heavy mechanical pressure from passing trains. Both factors have the potential to significantly reduce output and shorten the system's lifespan, raising questions about the long-term feasibility of such an installation.

Joseph Scuderi, founder and CEO of Sun-Ways, hopes to generate electricity on the tracks and feed it directly into trains, making them almost 100% self-sufficient. According to Scuderi, with 5,000 km of railway tracks in Switzerland, the potential for installing solar panels reaches nearly 2.5 million units. Sun-Ways also plans to expand this model to Germany, Austria, Italy, the US, and Asia in the coming years.

An Khang (According to Interesting Engineering/Railway Supply)

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