Solar Panels on Railway Tracks? Varanasi Shows How Idle Spaces Can Power Stations & Towns
On a stretch of track inside Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) in Varanasi, something unusual now catches the eye. Between the steel rails, where one would normally expect only gravel and sleepers, neat rows of solar panels have been laid out. They shimmer under the sun, marking the start of an experiment never before seen in India.
On 15 August 2025, Varanasi became the first city in the country to pilot a system of removable solar panels between active railway tracks. Unlike rooftop or ground-mounted panels that demand new land, this design makes use of space that has always been present but rarely considered valuable.
The pilot spans a 70-metre stretch with 28 panels that generate about 67 units of electricity a day. Mounted on rubber pads and secured with epoxy adhesive, the panels are built to withstand the constant vibration of trains while remaining easy to remove for maintenance.
As BLW General Manager Naresh Pal Singh was quoted as saying, “This is not just an energy project, but a way of rethinking existing infrastructure for sustainability. We are showing how Indian Railways can adapt without needing new land.”
With this step, Varanasi has opened up a fresh way of looking at renewable energy — transforming the tracks themselves into sources of clean power.
The idea that sparked a change
The story began with a simple question from BLW’s engineering team: “If so much track length lies vacant, why not put it to work?”
Every kilometre of railway in India represents valuable land, but much of the space between tracks remains unused. With 1.2 lakh kilometres of railway lines crisscrossing the country, the potential for solar energy generation is enormous.
Rajesh Kumar, BLW’s Public Relations Officer, said, “Engineers at BAREKA (Banaras Rail Engine Karkhana) observed that since India has an extensive railway network, the empty stretches between tracks could be effectively utilised for solar energy generation."
Inside Varanasi’s first solar track experiment
The pilot project is modest in scale but ambitious in intent. A 70-metre stretch of track inside BLW was selected, and 28 high-efficiency solar panels were mounted to create a 15 kWp capacity system.
Each panel is no ordinary piece of glass and silicon. Measuring 2,278 mm by 1,133 mm and weighing 31.83 kg, the modules offer a remarkable 21.31 percent efficiency, thanks to their half-cut mono-crystalline PERC bifacial cells.
In simple terms, these panels can absorb sunlight from both sides, making them effective even under diffuse light conditions. Fitted with rubber pads and secured with epoxy adhesive, the panels are strong enough to withstand the vibration of passing locomotives while remaining removable whenever track work is required.
The system is built for Indian conditions, and the panels are expected to last up to 25 years, offering a long-term clean energy solution.
“The panels are designed to endure Indian conditions from heat to rain and dust, and the continuous vibration of trains. At the same time, they can be removed in minutes, making maintenance hassle-free.”
How much power does it generate?
The pilot system at BLW generates about 67 units of electricity a day, enough to run a small railway office or station facilities. It builds on a wider solar push at BLW, where nearly 20 percent of the unit’s energy needs are already met through solar installations across its campus.
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Installed on rubber pads and secured with epoxy, these panels can withstand the vibrations of passing trains.
Engineers estimate that every kilometre of track could generate nearly 3.5 lakh units of energy annually. The design also offers a power density of 220 kWp per km, which translates to roughly 880 units per km each day.
If applied across Indian Railways’ vast 1.2 lakh km network, experts believe the output could be transformational — producing clean energy on a scale large enough to power hundreds of small towns.
Fittingly, the pilot was launched on Independence Day, a symbolic reminder of India’s own journey towards energy independence and its pledge to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070 and meet 70 percent of its renewable energy needs by 2030.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw referred to the effort as a model for the future. “The removable solar panel system is not just an engineering feat but a promise that Indian Railways will lead the way in becoming the world’s largest green railway.”
The case for solar tracks across India
For decades, Indian Railways – the world’s fourth-largest rail network – has been a major consumer of fossil fuels. Rapid electrification has already reduced dependence on diesel, but electricity demand remains enormous. The network currently consumes about 18 billion units of electricity every year.
By turning the tracks themselves into power generators, Indian Railways could offset a significant chunk of this demand. There are four key benefits of the model:
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No land acquisition needed: one of the biggest hurdles for renewable projects is avoided.
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Scalable model: every kilometre of track can be a clean energy source.
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Simpler maintenance: Panels can be removed and reinstalled quickly.
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Climate impact: the system contributes directly to India’s net-zero commitments.
Building on a green legacy
This isn’t BLW’s first brush with innovation. Established in 1961 as Diesel Locomotive Works, the unit has since transitioned to producing electric locomotives and exporting engines to more than 11 countries. In recent years, it has also introduced several green measures:
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Rooftop solar systems installed across its facilities
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A complete shift from diesel to electric locomotive manufacturing
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Water recycling and bio-toilet systems in its operations
The solar track initiative is seen as the next step in this green journey.
Chief Electrical Service Engineer Bhardwaj Chaudhary, who led the project team, said with pride, “This isn’t just about generating electricity. It’s about rethinking how we use existing spaces sustainably. We want to inspire other divisions to follow.”
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The design shows potential for renewable energy in existing infrastructures.
The challenges ahead
Like every pilot project, the solar track experiment in Varanasi faces its share of hurdles. Dust and debris can easily settle between the rails, reducing the efficiency of the panels. The panels themselves are specialised, and their installation comes with high upfront costs. Questions also remain about how durable the system will be on India’s busiest mainlines, where the weight and frequency of trains are far greater than at the BLW test site.
There is also the practical matter of maintenance. While the panels are designed to be removable, scaling the system across thousands of kilometres will require new processes and training for railway staff.
However, railway officials believe these are solvable problems. As one senior official put it: “Every new technology comes with challenges. The question is whether its potential outweighs them. Here, the answer is a resounding yes.”
With that confidence, attention now turns to what this innovation means in the larger context of India’s climate goals.
The bigger picture: Net-zero 2070
Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and Indian Railways is no exception. By converting the very tracks it runs on into solar farms, the network could emerge as a global model for sustainable mobility.
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The panels generate about 67 units of electricity daily, sufficient to power local railway facilities.
Currently, the sector has signed agreements for 7.7 GW of renewable power supply and already operates 209 MW of rooftop solar at over 2,000 sites. If solar panels between tracks become mainstream, the system could offset emissions on a scale equivalent to taking millions of cars off the road each year.
For Varanasi, a city long associated with its historic ghats and cultural heritage, the project has added a new identity as a sustainability pioneer. Local residents and workers have been quick to notice.
“I’ve worked at BLW for 20 years,” said technician Ramesh Gupta. “We used to only think about building engines. Today, we are building a future where trains themselves help power our lives. It makes me proud.”
The shimmering panels between the steel tracks of Varanasi may look modest now, but they represent something larger: a bold experiment in turning India’s most extensive public infrastructure into a renewable energy powerhouse. If expanded across the network, the idea could reshape not just Indian Railways but the way the world thinks about transport and energy.
Today, as the sun sets over Varanasi, the same light that paints the Ganga in gold is also being captured between two stretches of iron rails, turning a simple track into a pathway toward sustainability.
All images courtesy: Ministry of Railways, X.
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