U.K. Solar Trains to Embark in August

South Western Railway is going to start generating some of its own power. "The project, which is set to go live in August, uses 135 solar panels on land near the station to generate electricity that never reaches the grid. Instead, it will connect directly into the railway system, where it’s used as traction current to power trains," Phil Dzikiy reports for Electrek. This project from Riding Sunbeams is supposed to begin providing power to trains in August. The utility the group hopes to generate energy from a cleaner source and avoid paying a mark up.

"Riding Sunbeams plans on connecting '…the world’s first-ever, full-scale, community- and commuter-owned solar traction farm to the railways by 2020,' so the results from this project could guide the organization’s future plans," Dzikiy writes. According to officials from Riding Sunbeams, the project would be the first where solar is used to directly power trains.