Southern Railway saves big with solar plants at stations

Southern Railway has planned to install 2,600 kilo watt per hour (KWPH) of solar power capacity in the current financial year 2026-27, at its city stations. Once completed, the solar capacity would double to more than 5,000 KWPH of renewable energy generation and help in curbing the use of fossil fuels.

Proposed plans

A senior official of the Chennai division of Southern Railway said the renewable energy initiative, which was launched from the Dr. MGR Chennai Central station, has been steadily expanding with plans to meet a major portion of the electricity demand of the railway stations through solar power.

As part of the renewable power initiative, solar plants were installed at St. Thomas Mount and Guindy railway stations and the Zonal Electric Traction Training Centre in Avadi, during the last financial year. In the present year, solar plants have been proposed to be installed at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Mambalam, and Park railway stations.

The railway official said at Central station alone, more than half of the electricity needs of the sprawling station was being met through solar power, with 59, 500 units generated per month, resulting in savings of ₹11 lakh for electricity charges. Similarly at St. Thomas Mount Railway Station, which was renovated under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), the new solar plant generates 2,450 units of electricity and saves ₹50,000 of electricity charges per month.

At present, solar plants are functioning at railway stations, including Melmaruvathur, Kancheepuram, Katpadi, Tiruvottiyur, Arakkonam, Royapuram, Jolarpet, Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur, Tiruttani, St. Thomas Mount, Avadi, Guindy, and Basin Bridge.

The Southern Railway, in addition to installing solar plants at railway stations, has commissioned a 500-watt windmill and a 1000-watt solar unit at the Divisional Railway Manager’s Office located behind the Zonal office headquarters.

The Southern Railway, which is slowly moving away from the use of conventional power, plans to make savings of ₹1.50 crore in electricity bill by generating 24 lakh units every year.

With the availability of space, transport activist Dayanand Krishnan wanted the Southern Railway to install solar plants in all the railway stations of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS).