Rooftop solar plants commissioned at 148 stations across South Western Railway

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Rooftop solar plants have been commissioned at 148 railway stations across the South Western Railway (SWR) zone, as part of Indian Railways’ push towards renewable energy adoption and its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

According to officials, the large-scale rollout of solar photovoltaic systems spans stations, service and administrative buildings, workshops, traction and non-traction installations, level crossing gates and water pumping systems across Karnataka and parts of Goa under SWR. Major stations equipped with rooftop solar facilities include Krantiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru Railway Station at Majestic, Hubballi, Mysuru, Dharwad, Belagavi, Hosapete, Gadag and Ballari.

Solar rooftop systems at 302 level crossing gates

In addition to stations, 38 service buildings, including Rail Soudha, divisional offices, railway hospitals and training institutes, have been fitted with solar installations.

“Key production and maintenance units such as the Hubballi Workshop (1,045 kilo Watt Peak kWp), Mysuru Workshop (530 kWp), Krishnarajapuram Diesel Loco Shed (240 kWp) and Hubballi EMD Shed (640 kWp) have further strengthened the zone’s renewable energy footprint. Solar rooftop systems have also been installed at 302 level crossing gates, ensuring uninterrupted and environment-friendly power supply,” a senior SWR official said.

The official further said that the SWR zone’s cumulative installed solar capacity has reached 7,491.6 kWp as of November 2025, reflecting a steady rise from 6,986 kWp at the end of the previous financial year. “This increase underlines our systematic and sustained approach towards renewable energy adoption. Regular cleaning, preventive maintenance and performance monitoring have helped improve the capacity utilisation factor and ensure optimum output,” the official added.

4.13 MU solar power

During the current financial year 2025–26, up to October, SWR generated 4.13 Million Units of solar power, resulting in savings of approximately ₹2.61 crore. In 2024–25, solar generation stood at 6.86 MU, translating into savings of about ₹4.07 crore. Officials noted that consistent year-on-year growth in solar power generation has contributed significantly to reducing electricity procurement costs.

Beyond rooftop installations, SWR has leveraged open access renewable power procurement, with 36 traction sub-stations operating under such arrangements. “Green power procurement has resulted in substantial financial savings while reducing dependence on conventional energy sources,” the official explained.