Rail line in Hampshire is world's first to be powered by solar farm

The world’s first solar farm to power a railway line directly is due to plug into the track near Aldershot, paving the way for solar-powered trains.

https://www.theguardian.com/busines...e-is-worlds-first-to-be-powered-by-solar-farm

This is the key bit: '...the first time a solar array will bypass the electricity grid to plug directly into a railway’s “traction” system'

Bypassing the grid also bypasses system costs whether they are part of ongoing energy cost ('use of system' charges) or one off costs to reinforce the electricity networks to meet increasing power demand from the railway. i.e. it's about the relative costs of grid Vs self generated electricity.

What happens at night, or when it rains? No mention of storage - and surely that's where the technology is?

eMeS said:

What happens at night, or when it rains? No mention of storage - and surely that's where the technology is?

Click to expand...

You misunderstand... Onsite (rail connected) solar becomes part of the portfolio of solutions to provide traction power. What happens at night when the rest of the 13GW of solar in GB isn't generating?

If you read the guardian article carefully it says it it paving the way for traction power, the current scheme is only plugged into the 600v signalling supply system along with the DNO supply.