Banaras Locomotive Installs India’s First Solar Panels on Tracks

Varanasi is the first city in India to install portable solar panels between railway tracks, promoting sustainable energy. This pilot project at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) supports Indian Railways’ goal of reducing its carbon footprint and achieving net-zero emissions.

• Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) created history by installing the country’s first removable solar panel system between active railway tracks. This project was inaugurated by General Manager Naresh Pal Singh.

Features

• Banaras Locomotive Works, Varanasi, has commissioned India’s first 70-meter-long removable solar panel system (28 panels, 15 kilowatt power) between railway tracks, marking a step toward green and sustainable rail transport.
• This pilot project involves installing removable solar panels on sleepers and support beams under the tracks. Started on line number 19 of the BLW workshop, this initiative used an indigenously designed installation process to place solar panels without disrupting rail traffic.
• Whenever track maintenance is required, the panels can be easily removed. This initiative aligns with Indian Railways’ vision of promoting renewable energy and mitigating climate change.
• This project complements the existing rooftop solar power plants at the BLW premises.

Technical challenges

• To address technical challenges, rubber mounting pads were used to reduce vibrations from passing trains, while epoxy adhesive was applied to firmly attach panels on concrete sleepers.
• The panels are designed for easy cleaning and can be detached with just four SS Allen bolts for routine track work.
• Each panel measures 2278 × 1133 × 30 mm, weighs 31.83 kg, and with 144 half-cut monocrystalline PERC bifacial cells, has a module efficiency of 21.31%.

Solar energy capacity

• Officials said this technology can be widely applied on yard lines without requiring land acquisition, as it uses the space between tracks. The estimated capacity is 3.21 lakh units per kilometer per year.
• Indian Railways operates the world’s fourth-largest railway network, with a total track length of 123,542 km and a route length of 67,415 km.

Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW)

• Earlier known as Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), it is located in Varanasi. Recently, BLW manufactured its 2,500th electric locomotive and exported diesel engines to Mozambique.
• BLW was established in 1961 for indigenous manufacturing of diesel-electric engines. So far, BLW has produced 10,822 engines, including 7,498 diesel engines and more than 2,500 electric engines.
• BLW has exported engines to countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Mozambique. BLW started producing electric engines in 2017 and by 2025 had produced 2,500 electric engines.

Five locomotive manufacturing units in Indian Railways

• Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) - Chittaranjan, West Bengal, 1950.
• Banaras Locomotive Works - Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, 1961.
• Patiala Locomotive Works - Patiala, Punjab, 1981.
• Madhepura Electric Engine Factory - A joint venture between Indian Railways and French company Alstom. Located in Madhepura district, Bihar. It manufactures electric engines for freight trains.
• Wabtec Locomotive Private Limited - A joint venture between Indian Railways and US company Wabtec. It has a diesel engine manufacturing plant at Marhaura in Saran district, Bihar. Established in 2018.

South Coast Railway Zone

• Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014, the 18th zone of Indian Railways, SCoR, was formed. Its jurisdiction was created by merging parts of East Coast Railway (ECoR) and South Central Railway (SCR) zones.
• This zone will cover a large part of Andhra Pradesh, along with parts of Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
• The Waltair Railway Division, which earlier came under East Coast Railway (ECoR), has been divided into two parts -

1. Visakhapatnam Railway Division (under SCoR) – 410 km. The first part of the Waltair Division was renamed Visakhapatnam Division and included in the new SCoR zone.

2. New Division (under ECoR, HQ Raigarh) – 680 km. The second part of the Waltair Division will be converted into a new division under East Coast Railway (ECoR). This new division will have its headquarters at Raigarh in Odisha.