The world’s first solar power plant on a working rail line
We’re joining forces with Swiss start-up Sun-Ways to explore how movable solar power generation equipment can be installed between the rails of our train tracks. A pilot project is currently under way in Buttes, Switzerland, and will run through 2028.
Innovative power generation
SNCF Group is France’s largest electricity consumer of and second-largest property owner. To help meet its energy needs, the Group is developing projects to generate solar power on its land. This effort involves partnering with Swiss start-up Sun-Ways, which has invented movable solar panels that can be installed in the unused space between the rails of our train tracks.
SNCF’s Technology, Innovation and Group Projects Division and SNCF Réseau teams are currently studying the equipment’s impact on maintenance operations.
Three years of testing
On 24 April 2025, Sun-Ways launched a pilot project in Buttes in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel, to evaluate:
- photovoltaic panel installation
- glare
- track inspection (measuring track gauge, etc.)
- impacts on maintenance
- power output and dirt buildup
The project will generate invaluable data and feedback for SNCF Group. Teams will get a chance to fine-tune their technological expertise during the pilot phase, which runs until April 2028.
48
380W solar panels between the rails
On
100m
of track in Buttes, in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel
That equates to
18 kWp
of installed capacity
SNCF Renouvelables—our solar energy subsidiary
Since 2023, this SNCF subsidiary has been working to generate renewable electricity using solar panels on a portion of the Group’s 12 million sq m of built space and 100,000 hectares of land. Our goal is to help cover our annual electricity consumption needs.
Share the article