Overview

• Banaras Locomotive Works has commissioned a 70‑metre pilot with 28 panels totaling 15 kWp installed between rails.
• According to the Railways, the panels are removable to permit maintenance or seasonal adjustments without disrupting operations.
• The ministry says the approach could deliver about 3.5 lakh kWh of electricity per kilometre annually, potentially powering station operations or signalling while avoiding land acquisition.
• BLW deployed the pilot on workshop line number 19 using an indigenously developed installation method, with reports describing epoxy mounting and rubber cushioning to handle vibrations.
• In a separate development, Western Railway commissioned the first 2×25 kV electric traction system on the Nagda–Khachrod section using Scott‑connected 100 MVA transformers.