Sun-Ways’ railway solar plant in Neuchâtel reports positive first-year results

Sun-Ways, the start-up behind the world’s first removable solar power plant installed between railway tracks, has reported positive results one year after the launch of its pilot project in Buttes, in the canton of Neuchâtel. According to founder Joseph Scuderi, the installation has met its objectives in both railway safety and electricity production, with more than 11,000 trains having passed over the panels without affecting their stability.

Installed in April 2025 on a 100-meter stretch of track, the photovoltaic cells are placed between the rails on the sleepers and can be removed for maintenance. Since May 2025, despite a month-long shutdown for snow and technical works, the plant has produced more than 16,000 kilowatt-hours, roughly the annual consumption of three to four households. Sun-Ways estimates that Switzerland’s railway network, around 5,320 kilometers excluding tunnels and poorly lit sections, could generate up to one billion kilowatt-hours of solar energy per year, equivalent to about 2 percent of the country’s electricity use.

The project, supported by Innosuisse, has drawn international interest. The French national railway company SNCF signed a technical cooperation agreement with Sun-Ways in February, and the start-up is in contact with Italy’s Rete Ferroviaria Italiana over a possible pilot, as well as with partners in South Korea and Indonesia. TransN, the public transport operator of the canton of Neuchâtel that runs the Buttes section, has reported no conflicts with infrastructure, maintenance or train traffic, while Sun-Ways hopes to shorten the three-year pilot set by the Federal Office of Transport and obtain final approval.