The Railway Revolution: How Switzerland Is Turning Train Tracks Into Solar Power Plants

For decades, railway tracks have symbolized industrial progress — long steel lines cutting through cities and countryside. But in Switzerland, a small startup is reimagining these corridors as the next frontier of clean energy.

Sun-Ways, based near Lausanne, has developed a groundbreaking system to install removable solar panels directly between active train tracks. This clever innovation solves one of renewable energy’s biggest challenges: finding space for solar panels without sacrificing valuable farmland, forests, or urban areas.

The “Solar Carpet” Innovation

What makes Sun-Ways unique is its practicality. Traditional solar installations near railways create major problems for maintenance crews who need regular access to tracks, ballast, and sleepers. Permanent panels would need removal or destruction during repairs — an expensive and disruptive process.

Sun-Ways’ solution? A modular, rollable “solar carpet.” Using a specialized maintenance train, crews can unroll the panels like a carpet between the rails. When maintenance is needed, the same system rolls them up quickly, allows work to proceed, and then lays them back down. This fully reversible design blends 19th-century railway infrastructure with 21st-century solar technology.

The Pilot Project in Buttes, Neuchâtel

In April 2025, Sun-Ways inaugurated the world’s first operational removable solar installation on an active railway line near Buttes in the canton of Neuchâtel.

• Length: 100 meters
• Panels: 48 solar modules (approx. 385W each)
• Capacity: Around 18 kWp
• Expected annual output: 16,000 kWh — enough to power 4 to 6 average Swiss households

The three-year pilot (running until 2028) is testing real-world performance under daily train traffic (up to 30 trains per day at speeds up to 90 km/h). Researchers are monitoring vibrations, iron dust accumulation, snow, glare for drivers, and overall durability. Special anti-reflective coatings help ensure train safety.

The Massive Scaling Potential

Switzerland’s railway network stretches over 5,300 kilometers. If Sun-Ways technology were deployed across suitable sections (excluding tunnels and shaded areas), it could generate up to **1 Terawatt-hour (TWh)** of electricity per year.

That’s roughly **2% of Switzerland’s total annual electricity consumption** — no small achievement in a country pushing hard for carbon neutrality. Even better: this energy comes from “dead space” already dedicated to transportation, with zero additional land use.

Long-term vision: Panels could eventually help power the railway system itself, creating smart energy hubs along the network.

Advantages Over Traditional Solar Farms

• Land efficiency: Uses existing infrastructure — no new land required.
• Maintenance friendly: Fully removable and reinstallable.
• Installation speed: Specialized trains can lay up to 1,000 m² of panels per day.
• Global potential: Sun-Ways estimates 50% of the world’s railway lines could technically support this system.
• Lower visual & environmental impact: Panels sit low between rails, blending into the landscape.

Challenges and Realistic Outlook

This is still early-stage technology. Key tests include long-term durability under heavy vibration, cleaning methods (some trains may use rear brushes), electrical connections, and cost-effectiveness at scale. Safety remains the absolute priority — both for trains and maintenance workers.

International interest is already growing, with partnerships and testing discussions involving France’s SNCF and other countries. Success in Switzerland could open doors worldwide.

Conclusion: Innovation Through Smart Reuse

The Sun-Ways project beautifully demonstrates a powerful principle: we don’t always need to invent brand-new solutions for the climate crisis. Sometimes, we just need to look at what we already have — in this case, thousands of kilometers of railway corridors — and ask how they can do more.

By turning the space beneath and between our trains into solar generators, Switzerland is showing a smarter, more integrated path to sustainability. The railway revolution isn’t just about faster trains anymore — it’s about cleaner energy too. 🚂☀️

What do you think? Could solar panels between railway tracks become a common sight globally? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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