The North Central Railway (NCR) at Subedarganj station has successfully tested drone-based technology to clean solar panels. From this, they are marking a big step toward sustainable energy.
This initiative is part of Indian Railways’ Solar Mission, which supports the goal of achieving net zero for eco-friendly energy. With this move, NCR joins Southern Railways in adopting drone-powered cleaning solutions.
The live demo was carried out under the supervision of NCR principal chief electrical engineer Yatendra Kumar and chief electrical engineer Pankaj Jaiswal.
The drone, weighing about 19 kg without water, carries a 10-litre tank and uses four nozzles to spray water directly on panels. Controlled through GPS-based remote systems, it can fly for around 22 minutes on a full charge. During the trial, the drone cleaned panels on station buildings and platform shelters. They are showing that the system is effective and practical.
Officials said the results were impressive because the cleaning process used less water, avoided harmful chemicals, and proved that it is cost-efficient. Small design tweaks have been suggested to make it even more suitable for railway use.
NCR plans to expand this technology to more locations in the future. “The technology is user-friendly and very useful for panels installed at height,” said NCR senior PRO Amit Malviya.
Between April and August 2025, NCR generated 53.1 lakh units of solar energy from its 13.7 MW solar capacity, making it the top producer of solar power among Indian Railways zones.
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