As the demand for solar energy grows, so does the hunt for places to put the panels. In western Switzerland, engineers are testing a surprising solution: between the train tracks. A new pilot project is exploring whether railways can do double duty, carrying trains while generating clean electricity. It’s a clever idea, but the real test is whether the panels can handle years of trains rumbling overhead.
The pilot project, developed by Swiss startup Sun-Ways, is taking place near the village of Buttes, where 48 removable solar panels have been installed between the rails on a 100-meter (328-foot) stretch of active railway. The system isn’t designed to power an entire town. It generates about 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, enough for a handful of homes. Instead, the three-year test, which runs through April 2028, is designed to answer a much bigger question: can this idea work safely on a busy railway?
The solar panels are designed to be removable. A specialized machine installs them between the rails, and when maintenance crews need access to the tracks, the panels can be lifted out and reinstalled later. The idea is simple: use space that’s already there. Instead of building new solar farms on farmland or natural landscapes, railway corridors offer long, sun-exposed stretches of existing infrastructure that could generate clean electricity without taking up additional land. It’s one of several creative approaches, alongside solar over canals, parking lots, and reservoirs, aimed at making better use of space we’ve already built on.
Of course, putting solar panels between train tracks is a lot tougher than putting them on a rooftop. Every passing train creates vibration and powerful gusts of air. The panels also have to survive dirt, snow, rain, flying gravel, metal debris, and extreme temperatures, all while continuing to generate electricity. They also can’t create glare for train operators or interfere with railway signals and maintenance equipment. Those challenges were serious enough that Swiss regulators initially rejected the project while engineers carried out additional testing and safety studies. Sun-Ways responded by developing stronger panels with anti-glare coatings, built-in sensors, and even a proposal for cleaning brushes attached beneath trains to sweep away dust as they travel. Now the pilot will determine whether those solutions hold up in the real world.
So, how’s the project going? Well, it’s still in its early stages, but so far, so good. There have been no major reports of safety or performance problems. Engineers continue to monitor everything from energy production to dirt buildup and maintenance, and the results have attracted international attention. France’s national railway operator, SNCF, has already partnered with Sun-Ways to study the Swiss pilot and evaluate whether the technology could eventually work on parts of France’s rail network.
