02/21/2026
A Swiss startup called Sun-Ways, based near Lausanne, is piloting a system that installs solar panels between railway rails so the rail corridor can generate renewable electricity without needing new land. The idea targets the long, unused strip of space already built into rail infrastructure.
The first widely reported operational pilot was set up on about 100 meters of track in Buttes, in western Switzerland’s canton of Neuchâtel. The installation uses 48 solar panels mounted on the sleepers that support the rails.
A core feature is that the system is removable. Sun-Ways says panels can be installed and removed quickly using specialized rail equipment, which matters for routine track work and unexpected maintenance needs.
The pilot’s projected output is up to about 16,000 kWh per year, roughly the average annual electricity use of 4 to 6 households (depending on consumption assumptions).
Sun-Ways argues that scaling the concept across Switzerland’s rail network, excluding tunnels and low-sun sections, could reach around 1 billion kWh per year, which it frames as about 2% of Switzerland’s electricity use and comparable to powering roughly 300,000 households.
Regulators are watching durability and operations closely. The Federal Office of Transport (FOT) authorized the Buttes test under real conditions, noting the line’s relatively low speeds (reported up to 70 km/h) and requiring a longer evaluation period so wear, maintenance, monitoring, and seasonal performance can be assessed.
The pilot budget has been reported at about CHF 585,000, supported by multiple partners and Switzerland’s innovation agency Innosuisse.
