Railways to install solar power plants at 200 stations

 Indian Railways plans to install solar power plants of about 8.8 MW-capacity at railway stations, railway office buildings and level crossing gates throughout the country under railway funding. These include provision of 10 KWp solar PV modules each at 200 stations under various Zonal Railways, provision of total 4.05 MWp Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) at roof top of 21 railway office buildings and provision of total 1.3 MWp capacity SPV plants at 2,000 level crossing gates on Indian railways.
 
“Indian Railways proposes to harness solar energy by utilising roof top space of railway stations, other railway buildings and land including through the PPP mode as per the feasibility, the modalities of which are being worked out,” informs Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha. “However, solar power plants have been provided on top of two narrow gauge trains plying on Pathankot-Jogindernagar route in Kangra Valley section and Kalka-Shimla section on trial basis. On evaluation of trial and cost benefit analysis, further study of economic viability will be undertaken.”
 
The estimated cost of about 8.8 MW-capacity for projects of providing solar panels under railway funding for works mentioned above is about Rs. 100 crore. The benefits of these projects are reliable power supply particularly at remote locations and saving in diesel due to reduced running of diesel generators, Mr Sinha informed.

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