Wind turbines beside railway tracks capture power from passing trains

Three wind turbines have been installed alongside the East Coast Main Line to capture energy from passing trains.

As the front of a train hits stationary air, it creates a high-pressure zone leading to significant turbulence that can be used to spin wind turbines.

Image: LNER

Train operator LNER installed the turbines at Hitachi Rail’s Craigentinny depot. Standing at around six feet tall and manufactured using upcycled materials, the turbines require no grid connection and are designed to be easily deployed on unused land alongside railway tracks.

The clean energy generated will be harnessed, measured and used to power a range of devices as a precursor to potentially a broader roll-out across the UK rail network.

LNER said that a single turbine can generate enough energy to power a third of a small station’s lighting needs, supply four CCTV cameras or run two passenger information screens.

At this stage the clean energy the turbines produce will be harnessed, measured, and used to power a range of devices, enabling a better understanding of the potential power-generation opportunities available to rail operators.

According to the company, five turbines have the capacity to reduce emissions of more than 12,000 kilograms of CO2 each year – the equivalent of planting 500 trees.

Image: LNER

The firm worked with Treeva on the project, a renewable energy firm founded by engineers and scientists from Imperial College London.

“Our goal is to transform the way transport infrastructure is powered,” said Anjali Devadasan, CEO of Treeva.

Anjali Devadasan Image CP Catapult

“By capturing energy created by passing trains, we can turn unused land into a meaningful source of clean power and enable sustainable systems that pay for themselves within months.

We’re excited and optimistic about this next step in our work with LNER and the wider rail industry, and we look forward to seeing the turbine results and exploring future opportunities.”

The use of low-carbon energy generators across the rail network has been ramping up in recent years. In 2019, energy from a solar farm was plugged directly into a railway’s traction system near Aldershot in Hampshire to power trains on the line.

Transport for London and Network Rail are also installing solar panels on trackside land and embankments with the ultimate goal of providing up to 10% of the energy needed for the Southern Region’s trains.

Mark Haymer Image: LNER

Mark Haymer, Innovation Product Owner at LNER, said:

“We’re looking forward to seeing how the turbines perform over the next six months. The data collected will shape the next stages of the project, supporting LNER and the other DFTO train companies to become zero‑carbon operators, making rail an even greener choice.”