Suresh Prabhu flags off Indian s first solar powered 1600 HP train coach

New Delhi: India’s national transporter Indian Railways today introduced its first solar-powered rake with a battery back-up to enable it to run at night as well. The move is part of a string of measures being introduced in a bid to shift towards clean energy to reduce its mammoth energy bill. 

 

The 1,600 Horse Power rake has been conceptualized by Indian Railways Organisation for Alternate Fuels (IROAF) using flexible solar panels and Lithium-Ion batteries. The train will run from Sarai Rohilla station in Delhi to Farrukhnagar in Haryana. 

 

The contract for supplying solar panels was awarded to Noida-based energy firm Jakson at a cost of Rs 54 lakh. IROAF has also floated a tender to procure 250 more such coaches. The rail ministry said in statement 24 such coaches will be fitted with the solar system at Shakur Basti in Delhi within six months. The railways aim to save around Rs 21,000 litres of diesel through these rakes and also aim to bring cost saving of Rs 12 lakh every year.