A post which talks about Indian Railways' purported plan to install removable solar panels between active tracks is doing the rounds on social media platforms.
What have users claimed?: The users have further claimed that the project is being led by an Indian startup called Sun-Ways and will not require any extra land or cause any disruption to rail services.
What are the facts?: The viral post carries some factual inaccuracies, which makes it misleading.
Sun-Ways is a Swiss startup that was founded in 2021.
There is no evidence to prove that such a startup is presently working to install removable solar panels between railway tracks in India.
How did we find that out?: We performed a simple keyword search on Google and found a news report published by Euro News in October 2024.
It said that a Swiss startup named Sun-Ways has been given the permission for a three-year pilot project in Neuchatel, where solar panels will be rolled out on railway tracks.
The report carried a quote from the Sun-Ways CEO Joseph Scuderi, who said that this will be the first time that "solar panels will be installed on a railway track with trains that pass over them".
On going through Sun-Ways' official website, we found the 'pilot project' section that carried additional details.
It said that the project, which saw around 100-meter photovoltaic installation on a railway line, was inaugurated on 24 April in Buttes.
The photograph seen on the website looked similar to the viral image.
No evidence or information in public domain: Team WebQoof did not find any news reports or information available in the public domain that talked about Indian Railways' plan to install removable solar plans on train tracks.
Older version of the post?: We then performed a Google Lens search on the viral post and found a similar visual uploaded on an Instagram handle named 'hashem.alghaili'.
It was posted on 9 May and its caption, too, said that Switzerland is moving to put solar panels between railway tracks.
About some projects undertaken by Indian Railways: The railways has undertaken several steps to promote solar energy.
Around 209 MW of solar plants have been provided on 2249 railway stations and service buildings across the country till February 2025.
As per reports, the Railway Ministry had also launched the first diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) board train, where its coaches were powered by solar energy.
Conclusion: It is evident that the claim about Indian Railways planning to install solar panels in railway tracks is misleading.
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