More than 2600 Railway Stations in India are Solar-Powered

In 2017, Guwahati Railway Station in Assam became India’s first fully solar-powered railway station, with solar panels generating clean, renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions by hundreds of tonnes annually. 

In subsequent years, several large railway stations in India installed solar panels, including New Delhi, Old Delhi, Jaipur, Secunderabad, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Howrah, Varanasi, and Chennai Central. Several small stations are also solarised.

Indian Railways is supporting a steady shift towards cleaner and more sustainable railway operations across the country. They have made substantial progress in installing solar panels on railway station rooftops, metal shades over the platforms, and workshops. This wide-scale adoption is helping reduce energy costs.

This momentum has continued in the current financial year, with 318 stations added to the solar network as of November 2025. With these additions, the total number of solar-powered railway stations in India has reached 2,626.

By November 2025, it will have commissioned 898 MW of solar power for its operations. This is a sharp increase from just 3.68 MW in 2014. It represents nearly 244 times the 2014 level.

Of the total commissioned capacity, 629 MW is utilised for traction. It directly supports electric train operations. The remaining 269 MW meets non-traction needs, including station lighting, workshops, service buildings and railway quarters.

In a pioneering step, a removable solar energy system with 28 panels was installed at Banaras Locomotive Works in Varanasi, generating 880 units per km per day without requiring additional land. 

Solar installations at stations, buildings, and railway land are meeting the growing energy needs of Indian Railways. This use of solar power reduces dependence on conventional energy and also improves the overall efficiency of railway operations.

Furthermore, Indian Railways is close to completing the electrification of its entire broad-gauge network, with more than 99% electrified and the remaining stretches expected to be completed soon.

Leveraging solar energy to power trains can be a transformative step toward improving energy security and supporting decarbonisation goals. Such measures reaffirm Indian Railways’ commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2030.

Watch the video we made about solar panels installed on railway tracks.