Solar Panels To Be Installed On Railway Tracks In India? No, Swiss Project Pitch Shared With False Claim

Several social media users are circulating an image claiming that an Indian startup called Sun-Ways is deploying removable solar panels directly between railway tracks. According to the users, the project, which is being deemed a “game-changing move for sustainable infrastructure,” would not cause any disruption to rail services, need any extra land, and that it could produce more than one terawatt-hour of electricity annually, potentially powering over 200,000 homes.

The archived version of the post can be seen here.  

Fact Check

Newschecker ran a keyword search for “Indian railways solar panels Sunways,” which did not lead us to any credible news reports nor information about government projects seeking to install solar panels between railway tracks across the country.

We, however, came across this NDTV report, dated April 29, 2025, stating that a solar technology startup in Switzerland,  Sun-Ways, is hoping to exploit the open space between railway tracks to produce sustainable energy by placing solar panels. A further search led us to this Euro News report, dated October 14, 2024, stating that solar panels are set to be rolled out “like carpet” on railway tracks in Switzerland in a world-first. “Swiss start-up Sun-Ways has been given the green light for a three-year pilot project in the western canton of Neuchâtel, with work to begin in spring 2025…This will be the first time that solar panels will be installed on a railway track with trains that pass over them,” Sun-Ways CEO Joseph Scuderi reportedly said, which indicates that neither the startup was Indian nor was the project in India.

We looked up the pilot project details on the official website of the Switzerland-based Sun-Ways, which stated that a 100-m photovoltaic installation on a railway line open to traffic, was inaugurated on April 24, 2025 in Buttes (canton of Switzerland’s Neuchâtel). Also, the photo on the website (left) looks similar to the viral image (right).

“Other pilot projects are taking shape with SNCF in France, but also in Canada and South Korea, and discussions are already underway with potential partners in China, Australia and the United States,” further read the write-up, which does not mention India.

A reverse image search of the viral photo led us to an uncropped version as part of an article, dated May 19, 2025, stating that Switzerland became the first country to install solar panels on railway tracks. We also came across this image uploaded on Instagram on May 9, 2025, stating that Switzerland is putting solar panels between train tracks — and they can power 3,00,000 homes without disrupting trains.

“The start-up Sun-Ways has installed solar panels between the rails of a line near Buttes in western Switzerland,” read the caption of the photo published by Swiss news portal swissinfo.ch on April 29, 2025, proving the viral claim to be false.

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Conclusion

A viral post claiming that an Indian startup is installing removable solar panels between railway tracks across the country was found to be false.

Sources
Sun-Ways website
EuroNews website, October 14, 2024
swissinfo report, April 29, 2025