Fri, 31 Oct 2025

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 'This is the big one' - tech firms bet on electrifying rail

Railway operators have new options for electric trains including getting rid of locomotives altogether.

* In Aldershot, a small solar array powers trains through a direct connection to the existing electrified rail system.
* Riding Sunbeams, a start-up, built the 40kW solar panel installation in 2019 and aims to use renewable energy for rail electrification projects.
* The company is now planning to bid on a contract with Network Rail after the government announced its interest in rail-side renewables projects.
* Engineers are working on new technologies to make railway electrification more feasible, including software that can plan overhead line systems in detail and reduce costs.
* Polish start-up Nevomo has developed an electromagnetic propulsion system that eliminates the need for locomotives by propelling freight wagons with magnets.
* Parallel Systems is also working on electrifying individual freight wagons using batteries, allowing them to move independently around a rail network.
* Experts say new technologies are helping facilitate electrification and that electrified trains are now the preferred option for new railways.
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