What kid doesn’t love trains. The nostalgia that comes with the sound of the clickety clack of each wheel going over the rails, is enough to send any adult back to that day of being a kid, in wonder at these magnificent machines. For over 150 years we have had a love affair with these iron horses, in a way that one can not fully describe. Just the word brings visions of adventure in the old west and romance of the Orient Express. Yes there is something for everyone in the world of rails.   

Though most have a love from adventure, romance and mystery, for many it stops there. Few of us stop to think about the dark side. The side that involves backroom government deals, corruption, and promises gone wrong. As in all things when the government gets involved you can bet things will go from childlike fantasies to America’s Most Wanted.  For those in California we know this all too well, as we have seen false promises, about a certain bullet train project that was sold to the voter and yet has become nothing more than a money sucking bureaucracy, with little oversight.  However in the UK trains may be coming to life in a new and exciting way, with efforts of Government and Energy Future Labs.  

Electric Trains are the way to go for any long distance trip. So adding solar to such a system is nothing short of a great idea. Combine high occupant capacity along with Solar and wind and you have the makings for a Very Low carbon footprint that would impress even the persnickity of environmentalist. For the UK there are other issues at stake. The overall issue in the UK is an aging power grid that poses a major challenge for any entity to consider install solar.  The cost of network reinforcements is through the roof  making the task tough and costly.  On top of that government subsidy are being cut which is slowing solar demand.  So for local developers are looking for other options.  Directly powering infrastructure instead of adding to the grid may be the answer.
 

Currently there are over 3400 miles of electrified track laid out across the UK landscape. Plans are in the works to convert hundreds more over the next 10 years.  With projects being added in India and globally as time goes on.  The Vision Energy Future Labs has is to bring local people commuters and rail employees together to crowdfund investments in more rail projects in the upcoming years.