Groupe SNCF has signed a collaboration contract with Swiss start-up Sun-Ways to participate in a pilot project testing removable photovoltaic panels installed between the rails of an operational railway line, according to the companies.
The project is monitored by SNCF’s Technology, Innovation and Projects Directorate together with SNCF Réseau, with a focus on the impact of between-rail solar installations on infrastructure maintenance and inspection activities. The partnership runs until the end of the pilot phase in April 2028.
The Sun-Ways pilot installation entered operation on 24 April 2025 on a 100-metre section of TransN’s Line 221 near Buttes station. The site is a newly built track section with line speeds of up to 90 km/h and around 30 trains per day. The installation comprises 48 photovoltaic panels rated at 380 W each, for a total installed capacity of 18 kWp and an estimated annual output of 16,000 kWh.
During the three-year operating period, Sun-Ways is carrying out tests covering panel installation and removal, glare analysis, track inspection compatibility, maintenance impacts, energy production and soiling. SNCF is using the data and operational feedback from the Swiss pilot to assess the suitability of deploying similar systems on the French rail network.
