Trains Power Trackside Turbines in UK Rail Trial

LNER and clean energy company Treeva have installed three small wind turbines beside the East Coast Main Line, marking a first for the UK rail network. The units sit at Hitachi Rail’s Craigentinny depot and are designed to capture airflow created by passing trains. Each turbine stands around six feet tall and is built using upcycled materials.

The system works without a connection to the electricity grid and is intended for use on spare land next to railway tracks. Energy produced by the turbines will be collected and analysed during a trial period of at least six months. The aim is to understand how this approach could be used more widely across rail infrastructure in Britain.

According to project data, a single turbine can supply enough power to cover around a third of a small station’s lighting, operate four CCTV cameras or run two passenger information screens. Installing five units could cut emissions by more than 12,000 kilograms of CO2 each year, roughly equal to planting 500 trees.

For those travelling by rail, this could mean fewer issues at smaller stops along the way. Lighting and information screens are less affected by local power problems, which is more noticeable on quieter routes. At less busy stations, basic facilities are more likely to stay on during the day. On longer journeys, working screens and lighting make it easier to follow connections and keep track of changes.

The trial shows how rail operators are testing ways to reduce emissions using existing infrastructure rather than large-scale rebuilds. If results are consistent, similar installations could appear along other routes. That would gradually change how parts of the rail network are powered, with local energy generation supporting day-to-day operations in a more direct and measurable way.