The UK are now running on a rail line powered entirely by a solar farm in what’s said to be a world first. Around 100 panels are keeping the signaling and lights up and running on the track near Aldershot in Hampshire, and the project could be a precursor to solar-powered trains on the nation’s network.
this is still a relatively small installation. 100 solar panels may sound like a lot, but when you consider how much power the UK’s entire train system needs, it’s a mere drop in the bucket. Regardless, this is a pretty big achievement for the UK, and it could pave the way for similar solar-powered rail lines to be installed throughout the country and perhaps even overseas if the idea catches on.
Indeed, it sounds like the former is the long-term plan for the organization behind this installation, Riding Sunbeams. By 2020, The Guardian says Riding Sunbeams hopes to build and connect the “world’s first-ever full-scale community-and-commuter-owned solar farm” to UK railways that’s quite an ambitious project, and we look forward to seeing whether or not the group can pull it off.
