The rail track next to Aldershot is set to be powered by a solar farm. Around 100 solar panels on the side of the track will generate renewable electricity to operate the signalling and lights on Network Rail’s Wessex route. This will be the world’s first railway generated with green power. 

The installation, by Network Rail and Community Energy South, will test the solar electricity’s capability to bypass the grid and go directly to power the equipment. This project, that will be generating 30kW, has the potential to start a trend of generating renewable electricity. The company is set to invest more to see more of the rail lines electrified, aiming to reduce the amount of trains using diesel. Such projects help to lower air pollutions, gas emissions as well as costs. 

10:10, a charity that encourages practical actions on climate change, produced a scheme together with Imperial College London to shift the UK’s rail tracks to being charged by solar generation. Director of 10:10 Leo Murray said, ‘Matchmaking the UK's biggest electricity user, the railways, with the nation's favourite energy source, solar power, looks like the start of the perfect relationship.’ He added, ‘Helping to get the railways off fossil fuels in this way will cut running costs and benefit local communities at the same time as helping to tackle the climate crisis.’

Furthermore, director for Network Rail’s Wessex route, Stuart Kirstruck pointed out, ‘We have ambitions to roll this technology out further across the network should this demonstrator project prove successful, so we can deliver a greener, better railway for our passengers and the wider public.’

The research made concluded that 200 solar farms would be able to produce 15% of the power required to run trains by renewable electricity. 

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