Solar power for AC coaches

Sun to power AC coaches in trains

India Today Online  Chennai, August 5, 2013 

Indian Railways

Trains in the country will soon have air-conditioned coaches powered not by electricity but the sun. The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai has joined hands with IIT-Madras to design AC coaches that use solar energy, said a newspaper report on Monday.
This is the first time Indian Railways, the world's biggest railway system, is planning to use solar power as alternative sources of energy.
Running AC coaches on electricity is challenging since trains cross several zones, often leading to failure of AC systems.
The new technology will be integrated in the train coaches designed by Integral Coach Factory but no timeframe was set for completion of the project.
A MoU on this was signed about a month ago and initial discussions have taken place to develop a viable model.