For centuries, the gusts of air produced as Britain's trains rush around the country have been wasted – until now. In a UK first, rail company LNER have installed three experimental wind turbines alongside the track to harness the turbulent airflow blasted out by passing high-speed trains and turn it into electricity.
The turbines, named "Windiana Jones", "Sir Spins-a-lot", and "AC Breezy", have been installed alongside the East Coast Main Line at Hitachi Rail’s Craigentinny depot in Edinburgh by LNER and clean energy infrastructure firm Treeva.
The six-foot-tall devices, made from "upcycled materials", are the first turbines to be operated next to a UK main line. They require no grid connection, and their design allows for easy deployment on hitherto unused railway land close to the tracks.
According to LNER, the trial could pave the way for a roll-out of such technology "across Britain's rail network". 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.
"A single turbine can generate enough energy to power a third of a small station's lighting needs, four CCTV cameras, or run two passenger information screens," LNER said. "Five turbines have the capacity to reduce emissions of more than 12,000 kilograms of CO2 each year – the equivalent of planting 500 trees."
The project is the product of the Future Labs rail industry innovation scheme, which pairs rail operators with tech start-ups to tackle industry challenges. Treeva, a graduate of the programme and winner of its People’s Choice Award, has been working with LNER to adapt its technology for rail environments.
“Our goal is to transform the way transport infrastructure is powered,” said Treeva co-founder and chief executive Anjali Devadasan. “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.”
LNER’s Mark Haymer called the trial “a really exciting” step, which could make rail travel "even greener". "Developing new ideas and solutions in any industry is always a challenge, but thanks to a strong partnership between Treeva, Hitachi, Network Rail, and LNER, we’ve delivered a successful and safe installation at Craigentinny. We’re looking forward to seeing how the turbines perform over the next six months," he said.
In 2019, a separate scheme was unveiled in which a solar array at Aldershot provided some of the power required for passing trains. The project, called "Riding Sunbeams", has been a success, prompting major interest in using further solar power on train lines, with Network Rail announcing last year that they were seeking suppliers.
