World’s first fully solar-power train makes its first trip

With everything turning solar, trains too are using solar-power instead of the traditional ones, and the world’s first completely solar-powered train has just recently completed its first ride.

The entirely solar-powered train took its initial short ride in Australia. The solar train was developed by ‘Byron Bay Railroad Company’ that brought a 70-year-old ‘red rattler’ passenger vehicle back to life to show that solar power can work for such kind of major transportation. Being the idea of businessman Brian Flannery, the whole project cost approximately $4 million.

The solar train functions only on clean energy. It has solar panels on its roof and at pit stops that provide all of the power the train requires for its three kilometer route (for now). Originally, the train contained two diesel engines. At this stage, one of the engines has been replaced with batteries and an electric motor. The second one is being used for a backup in case of emergency. Even if the train travels under the cloudy sky, the battery takes care of it, reported Futurism.

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ABC News wrote, Tim Elderton who built the solar panels and battery system explained, “Basically it’s electric bus technology that we’ve re-engineered to adapt to a train. Of course the major difference is it’s got solar panels on the roof so it can recharge itself. For those cloudy days we’ve also got 30 kilowatts of solar panels in this [station’s] roof here so we can also plug it in. On a sunny day we can do about four or five trips before we have to plug it in.”

The train seats 100 passengers along with having a room for other people to stand and completes one round of the trip within an hour. It is comparatively easy to solar-power trains as compared to other vehicles such as cars. Trains have a fixed route and are easy to be recharged at every stop through electricity generated by static solar panels.

“Hopefully it attracts people to Byron Bay. I think international tourists will come here to have a look at this world’s first solar train. So let’s see, in five years’ time they’ll probably still say I’m mad, but it’s a bit of fun,” expressed Flannery.

Solar trains are developing with time. Back in July this year, Indian Railways also introduced the first train to have solar panels on its roof to power the on-board appliances like lights and fans. UK too, is working on solar energy to power its rail transport.