As trains roll out of Aldershot station each day, few passengers realise they’re partly powered by the sun. A small cluster of solar panels beside the tracks supplies electricity directly to the rail line — the only such installation in Britain.
Built in 2019 by Riding Sunbeams, a renewable energy start-up, the 40-kilowatt array is modest in scale but represents a major leap in sustainable rail technology. “On a sunny afternoon, if you’re catching a train through Aldershot, a little bit of that energy comes from those panels,” said Leo Murray, the company’s co-founder and chief executive. “For railways, this is the cheapest electricity you can buy.”
Murray’s firm aims to expand the concept of rail-powered renewables, but funding delays have slowed progress. That could soon change. Network Rail, which owns and maintains Britain’s railway infrastructure, is now inviting bids for new rail-side renewable projects — a move Murray calls “the big one” for the industry.
Rail electrification has long been hampered by high costs and technical hurdles. Conventional systems rely on overhead power lines or electrified rails, both of which are expensive to install and depend heavily on local grid connections. With growing strain on electricity networks, solar solutions are becoming increasingly attractive.
The Aldershot project tapped into an existing electrified line, but future efforts face additional challenges. Solar panels produce direct current (DC) electricity, while most overhead rail systems use alternating current (AC). Engineers in England are developing a converter to bridge this gap, potentially unlocking wider use of renewables for rail power.
Elsewhere in the UK, digital innovations are also advancing electrification. At Colton Junction — between Leeds and York, where trains run at up to 125mph — engineers recently used 3D modelling software developed by the University of Huddersfield to design and test overhead line systems virtually, saving time and reducing costs.
Globally, alternative electrification concepts are emerging. Polish start-up Nevomo has developed an electromagnetic propulsion system that eliminates the need for locomotives by propelling freight wagons independently using powerful magnetic fields. Trials are set for next year in Germany and India.
In the US, Parallel Systems is testing battery-powered freight wagons capable of travelling up to 800 kilometres on a single charge. The company’s goal is to move smaller freight loads more efficiently and capture a slice of the trucking market.
Experts say these innovations — from solar power to AI-managed rail networks — could transform the future of transport. “All of these technologies are physically feasible,” said Dr. Stuart Hillmansen of the University of Birmingham. “The challenge now is making the business case work.”
