Many electric trains already use some solar power. But by connecting the panels to the line itself, trains can be powered more efficiently
not have paid them much attention, but a small array of solar panels next to the railway line at Aldershot, a town 50km south-west of London, could herald a greener future for train travel. The site is an experiment to supply electricity generated from sunlight directly to a railway line. It is the “directly” bit that is novel. In Britain, as in many places, solar power is already fed into the grid, and it is the grid which train operators plug into.
Connecting up the Aldershot site was made easier by a quirk of history. When the electrification of Britain’s railways began in the late 19th century, two systems were used. In much of the country overhead lines were installed, but in crowded south-east England a “third rail” was used instead. This consists of a conductor rail placed alongside the track on insulated brackets. A pickup shoe near the wheels of the train draws power from this rail.
Second, it is a good deal. Lineside solar electricity will be cheaper than that from the grid, Mr Kistruck calculates. Overall, he reckons, 10% of the southern region’s power needs might be met this way. Such savings are not to be sniffed at. With around 40% of the country’s rail system electrified, Network Rail is Britain’s biggest single user of electricity. It has an annual bill of around £300m just for traction.
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