Indian Railways launches first solar-powered diesel electrical multiple unit train
In India, the first diesel-electric DEMU train on solar batteries in the country was launched, ECONOMICTIMES.COM reports. It made the first trip from Safdarhung to Delhi. It is expected that in the next few days 50 such trains will appear on several routes within the country. The train can move both during the day and at night thanks to the batteries. The batteries are installed on the roofs of the wagons. The new transport unit is equipped with a total of 16 solar panels, each with a capacity of up to 300 watts. The train can run on battery for at least 72 hours. For the first time in the world, solar panels have been used on railways. In India, with one of the largest rail networks in the world, with about 12,000 trains, 23 million passengers and 3 million tons of cargo per day, solar energy can be obtained almost continuously due to a large number of bright days in the year. The train with photovoltaic panels consumes 90 thousand liters of diesel fuel per year less than conventional trains, and reduces the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 200 tons. It is expected that initially new transport will run on short routes, and in a few years it will start to serve long-haul destinations. (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com)
