Banaras Locomotive Works installs India’s first removable solar panel system on active railway tracks

VARANASI: In line with the Indian Railways’ push towards renewable energy and climate change mitigation, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) has achieved a historic milestone by installing the country’s first removable solar panel system between active railway tracks.

The project was inaugurated by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh, who cut the ribbon and lauded Chief Electrical Service Engineer Bhardwaj Chaudhary and his entire team for their accomplishment.

Indian Railways is Racing Ahead!

For the first time, solar panels have been installed directly on tracks at Banaras Locomotive Works in Varanasi, generating 1.2 MW of clean energy to power the facility.

This bold step cuts costs , reduces carbon emissions by 1,200 tons… pic.twitter.com/epmFqE6BAd

— Hardeep Singh Puri ᴾᵃʳᵒᵈʸ (@hardeep_s_puri) August 18, 2025

The first-of-its-kind Initiative in India, this pilot project has been commissioned on Line No. 19 of the BLW workshop. It uses an indigenously designed installation procedure to mount solar panels between tracks without disrupting train operations. The system also allows for easy removal of panels whenever required for track maintenance.

The innovation complements the existing rooftop solar power plants at BLW, further strengthening its green energy generation capacity.

भारतीय रेलवे में पहली बार बरेका में रेलवे ट्रैक के बीच सोलर पैनल लगाने की अनूठी पहल की गई जिसका @gmblw श्री नरेश पाल सिंह ने किया उद्घाटन।
स्वच्छ ऊर्जा, भूमि की बचत और हरित भविष्य की ओर बड़ा कदम। #SolarRail @RailMinIndia @mygovindia @EBSB_Edumin #IndianRailways pic.twitter.com/p4maiImDby

— BANARAS LOCOMOTIVE WORKS, VARANASI (@blwvaranasi) August 15, 2025

To overcome challenges such as vibrations from moving trains, the panel have been mounted on rubber pads and fixed using epoxy adhesive for strong metal-concrete sleepers. An easy cleaning mechanism has been incorporated, while a quick removal system enables panels to be detached with just four S.S. Allen bolts during maintenance work.

“The length of the track is 70 meters, let us tell you that, 28 solar panels installed in 70-meter track will generate 67 units of electrical energy per day, whose capacity is 15 kilowatt peak (KWP) whose power density is 220 KWp/km and energy density is 880 units/km/day”, GM Singh said.

Each panel measures 2278x1133x30 mm, weighs 31.83 kg, and has a module efficiency of 21.31 per cent. They are equipped with 144 half-cut mono-crystalline PERC bifacial cells and an IP68 junction box, with a maximum system voltage of 1500 V.

Officials said that the project has immense potential for wider adoption across Indian Railways’ 1.2 lakh km track network, particularly in yard lines where land acquisition is not required. Utilising the space between tracks, the system can potentially generate 3.21 lakh units of electricity per year per kilometre.

“This project is not only a new dimension in solar energy utilisation but will also serve as a robust model for green energy generation in Indian Railways in the future”, Singh added. (ANI)