Banaras Locomotive installs India’s first removable solar panels on railway tracks; boosting green energy drive

VARANASI: In a groundbreaking step towards renewable energy adoption, Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) has created history by installing the country’s first removable solar panel system between active railway tracks.

The project was inaugurated by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh on Independence Day.The pilot project involves installing removable solar panels on the sleepers—the support beams beneath the tracks. Commissioned on Line No. 19 of the BLW workshop, the initiative uses an indigenously designed installation procedure to mount solar panels without disrupting train traffic. The panels can also be removed easily whenever track maintenance is required.The initiative aligns with Indian Railways’ vision of promoting renewable energy and climate change mitigation. The GM praised Chief Electrical Service Engineer Bhardwaj Chaudhary and his team for the achievement, noting that the project complements existing rooftop solar power plants in BLW premises. “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 said.

To address technical challenges, rubber mounting pads were used to reduce vibrations caused by passing trains, while epoxy adhesive was applied for strong fixation of panels to concrete sleepers. The panels are designed for easy cleaning and can be detached with just four SS Allen bolts for regular track work.The pilot covers 70 metres of track with a 15 KWp installed capacity using 28 panels. It offers a power density of 220 KWp per kilometre and an energy density of 880 units per kilometre per day.

Each panel measures 2278 × 1133 × 30 mm, weighs 31.83 kg, and has a module efficiency of 21.31% with 144 half-cut monocrystalline PERC bifacial cells.With Indian Railways’ network spanning 1.2 lakh kilometres, officials said the technology could be widely deployed on yard lines without the need for land acquisition, as it uses the space between tracks. The estimated capacity is 3.21 lakh units per kilometre per year.BLW said the innovation marks a major step towards the Indian Railways’ target of achieving net zero carbon emissions.