Guwahati, Assam: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has expanded its use of solar energy with a total installed capacity of 42 MWp, according to Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Northeast Frontier Railway.
It makes NFR a leader in India's railway-sector renewable energy push.
Sharma said that solar power generation has received a lot of attention over the last two to three years with the railway efforts in Guwahati.
This is part of a larger initiative aimed at increasing renewable energy consumption in India and reducing dependency on conventional power generation.
NFR's solar programme is one of the major pillars of its solar projects, as solar panels are already in place at more than 200 major railway stations. The solar panels are providing electricity to the railway and reducing the total power cost for the network.
The railway has saved approximately ₹13 crore in the last two years through solar energy generation, Sharma said.
The savings speak volumes of the benefits of converting to renewable energy for its large transport network which requires significant amounts of electricity for stations, offices, and other infrastructure.
The 42 MWp capacity that Northeast Frontier Railway has is also an important one because Sharma said it is the highest solar power capacity for the Indian Railways network.
The development reflects the growing role of renewable energy in the country's railway infrastructure.
The railway is not stopping at its current capacity. Work is currently underway to add another 9 MWp of solar power capacity. Once completed, the additional installations will further increase renewable electricity generation and contribute to lower electricity costs.
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam: Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, CPRO, Northeast Frontier Railway, says, "Under the leadership of the PM, solar energy is expanding across India. Efforts are being made to boost solar power generation, and Indian Railways is contributing significantly to this… pic.twitter.com/YozBngsEaM
— ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2026
Solar power is now a major part of India’s clean energy policy. Railway infrastructure offers huge possibilities for solar power installation because stations, administrative buildings, and other railway facilities offer large areas to install solar panels.
For the Northeast Frontier Railway, the solar expansion will also serve to improve energy efficiency on its entire network.
Besides reducing power consumption, the greater the use of renewable energy, the lower the environmental cost of conventional energy usage.
The NFR’s growth shows how large public infrastructure networks can integrate renewable energy into their regular business. With more solar projects being built, the railway will continue to grow its clean-energy footprint.
The other 9 MWp project will be closely watched as NFR moves towards a larger renewable-energy capacity.
The combination of increased solar generation and reduced electricity expenditure could be beneficial for the railway in the future.
