A quiet revolution is underway on railways in Britain and beyond, and most passengers don’t even notice it. Every day, thousands of commuters passing through Aldershot station ride trains partly powered by a small cluster of solar panels beside the tracks. The installation, easily overlooked from a passing carriage, is feeding clean energy directly to the rail line — a first-of-its-kind achievement in the UK.
The project was developed in 2019 by Riding Sunbeams, a renewable energy start-up focused on greening rail infrastructure. Though the Aldershot array generates just 40 kilowatts — roughly the output of ten household rooftop systems — its significance lies in proving that solar can plug directly into railway power lines. According to Riding Sunbeams’ co-founder and CEO, Leo Murray, it remains the only solar installation in Britain that directly moves locomotives. And for rail operators looking to cut fuel costs, he argues, this is the cheapest electricity available.
Around the world, diesel still powers a vast share of trains. Traditional electrification — through overhead power lines or electrified rails — is costly, complex, and often dependent on access to major power-grid connections. Many regions lack the electrical infrastructure to support conversion from diesel. Murray says those challenges have only intensified, making renewables an attractive workaround. Solar power can be placed directly along rail corridors, reducing demand on local grids.
Riding Sunbeams had planned to scale up after its Aldershot success but stalled due to funding difficulties. Now the momentum may return, as Network Rail has begun seeking suppliers for trackside renewable projects. The company intends to submit a bid, calling the opportunity “the big one”.
Still, expanding solar-powered rail brings new engineering hurdles. Aldershot was already electrified, meaning the panels only needed to feed into an existing system. But converting diesel routes requires integrating solar-generated direct current with overhead lines that operate on alternating current. Engineers in England are currently developing a converter designed to bridge that gap.
Elsewhere in the UK, electrification is advancing through smarter infrastructure. At Colton Junction, between Leeds and York, overhead line systems were modelled using 3D software from the University of Huddersfield to reduce on-site testing and costs. Trains have been running at full 125mph speeds since August as a result.
More futuristic concepts are emerging internationally. Polish start-up Nevomo has created an electromagnetic propulsion system that allows individual freight wagons to move without locomotives. A charged aluminium cable installed between the rails generates a magnetic field that propels magnet-fitted wagons independently — and can rapidly stop them. The ability to safely run multiple wagons close together could increase freight capacity on busy routes. Pilot projects are planned for a steel plant in Germany and a port in India next year.
In the United States, a company called Parallel Systems has different plans for freeing freight wagons from traditional locomotives: onboard batteries. Its vision is “atomised freight”, with small, self-powered wagons making shorter trips and competing with road haulage. The company says capturing even a small percentage of truck freight would reshape the rail industry.
Rail experts say the challenge now is less about technical feasibility and more about economics. Electrification is increasingly seen as the default choice for new railways, supported by innovations in renewable integration, digital engineering and alternative propulsion. But whether it’s solar-fed trains in Britain or magnet-powered wagons in Europe, the shift toward cleaner, smarter rail transport appears to be picking up speed — and passengers may only realise it when they look out of the window and spot a line of solar panels keeping them moving.
