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Travel & transport from BBC stories as at 19:55 11 Dec 2023
- Smile Direct Club customers 'gutted' and 'left in lurch'
- Rare solar storms could cause rail network chaos, scientists warn
- Alicia Keys' surprise performance for London commuters
- Train ticket websites warned over drip pricing
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 14/12/23 - Estimates of station usage: Ap
24/12/23 - Paddington closed
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26/12/23 - No GWR trains (why not?)

No 'On This Day' events reported for 11th Dec

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17:59 Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington
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Author Topic: Solar panels between the rails in Switzerland  (Read 509 times)
Surrey 455
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« on: March 19, 2023, 01:29:39 am »

From Euronews
Quote
Solar panels are being rolled out “like carpet” on railway tracks in Switzerland.

Swiss start-up Sun-Ways is installing panels near Buttes train station in the west of the country in May, pending sign-off from the Federal Office of Transport.

As the climate crisis demands that we speed up Europe’s energy transition, developers have been seeing new potential in unusual surfaces.

Roadsides, reservoirs and farms are all finding space for solar systems. And Germany’s Deutsche Bahn is also experimenting with adding solar cells to railway sleepers.

Continues....
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Electric train
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The future is 25000 Volts AC 750V DC has its place


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« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2023, 07:15:30 am »

From Euronews
Quote
Solar panels are being rolled out “like carpet” on railway tracks in Switzerland.

Swiss start-up Sun-Ways is installing panels near Buttes train station in the west of the country in May, pending sign-off from the Federal Office of Transport.

As the climate crisis demands that we speed up Europe’s energy transition, developers have been seeing new potential in unusual surfaces.

Roadsides, reservoirs and farms are all finding space for solar systems. And Germany’s Deutsche Bahn is also experimenting with adding solar cells to railway sleepers.

Continues....

I doubt Track Maintainenance Engineers will be overly keen on the idea, would make tamping the track a pain

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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
broadgage
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« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2023, 07:31:31 am »

I am in general in favour of renewable energy, including solar.
Installation between the rails seem a very odd choice, impedes track maintenance, and liable to shading by vegetation, snow or dead leaves.
I would have thought that roofs of station buildings might be a better choice.
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU (Diesel Multiple Unit) is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
stuving
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« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2023, 12:30:38 pm »

I doubt Track Maintainenance Engineers will be overly keen on the idea, would make tamping the track a pain

There's a video here about it, which says these are "removable solar panels". So the same special train that rolls them out and clips them in place can also roll them up again to allow maintenance work.

Maybe in Switzerland the obvious corollary, that it's also easy for them to be stolen, is not sen as an issue!
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