Get On Board Australia’s Solar Train

The World’s First Fully Solar-Powered Train Just Left the Station

Lou Del Bello, December 18, 2017 (Futurism)

“…On December 16, a fully solar-powered train took a short but groundbreaking journey in New South Wales, Australia…[The Byron Bay Railroad Company brought] the vintage passenger vehicle back to life to prove that solar power can actually work for transportation…[The train does its 1.9 mile route] solely on solar panels on its roof and at pit stops…The train originally had two diesel engines, of which one has been replaced by batteries and an electric motor. The other will serve as a backup in case of emergency, although the train will keep going under a cloudy sky, too, thanks to a 77kWh battery. The fully solar-powered train holds 100 seated passengers, with room for others to stand, and completes one round-trip journey every hour…Small vehicles are heavy, and the surface suitable for installing solar panels is too small to produce sufficient power…Trains, on the other hand, travel on a fixed route and can be quickly recharged at each stop using electricity generated by static solar panels…Since January 2017, a fleet of wind turbines have provided all the electricity needed to power the Dutch national railway. In July, Indian Railways debuted trains with solar panels on their roofs to power on-board services such as lights and fans…” click here for more

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