Switzerland has been given the green light to install a £500,000 mega-project set to revolutionise one of its railway lines, making it different to every other one in Europe. 

Start-up Sun-Ways has taken 10 months to test prototypes and get expert appraisals for its solar panel project, and has now finally been given the go-ahead by the Federal Office of Transport (FOT).

Starting next spring, they will begin installing a removable solar panel system on a railway line in Neuchâtel, western Switzerland. They will be placed along a 100-meter section of the track, operated by the area’s public transport company. 

The initial test phase will last three years and cost CHF585,000 (£521,932) as Sun-Ways inserts 48 panels on sleepers between the tracks. 

Alongside other energy infrastructure, this will be used to inject power into the local grid.

Sun-Ways CEO Joseph Scuderi told SWI swissinfor.ch: “This will be the first time that solar panels will be installed on a railway track with trains that pass over them. At any time you can remove the panels to re-do some welding, remove a bolt or change a sleeper.”

This is the first time a removable system such as this has been patented, though other companies have attempted similar endeavours. Greenrail in Italy and Bankset in England have both been testing photovoltaic elements installed on railway sleepers. 

The solar panels can be intalled manually or by a specially designed machine able to install up to 1,000 square metres every day. It can also quickly remove them to allow for maintenance or replacement.

The project was put on pause last year when the transport office rejected Sun-Ways’ idea as the solar technology was deemed to be not up to scratch. However, this decision was reversed when the start-up provided prototypes and additional reports.

Scuderi’s firm has also created a solar panel system for private railroads leading to warehouses and industrial estates. He said: “Sometimes I’m a bit overwhelmed by what’s happening. Things are moving rapidly.”

Sun-Ways claims that the panels could be installed on all 2,000 miles of the Swiss rail network, which would produce up to one Terawatt-hour (TWh) of solar energy per year – equivalent to about two percent of Switzerland’s energy usage. 

The three-year pilot scheme is intended to test how the train track deals with wear and tear, and the maintenance and monitoring required to keep the project going. 

Scuderi said: “We will no doubt learn a great deal to improve the technology.”