As of January 1, all trains in the Netherlands now run entirely on wind power (that is to say electricity generated by wind farms, not masts and sails). An Eneco and NS joint website proclaimed that the 100 percent wind-powered train network can provide carbon-neutral travel to 600,000 daily passengers. The carbon-neutral rollout was handled by Dutch energy company Eneco, who first announced plans for a wind-powered railway system in 2015. The deal had a projected completion date of 2018, but thanks to a recent explosion in the number of windfarms in the Netherlands, Eneco and NS, the Dutch railways company, hit their goal a year early.
All trains in the Netherlands now operate using electricity generated by wind power, providing carbon-neutral travel to 600,000 daily passengers. Dutch energy firm Eneco coordinated the switch to renewable energy in partnership with NS, the country's primary rail operator. The project was originally set for completion in one year early, but a recent rise in the number of windfarms in the Netherlands allowed the companies to reach their goal 2018. A UK research team is looking at the possibility of powering trains using track-side solar panels. The Renewable Traction Project is a collaboration between Imperial College London, Turbo Power Systems, Community Energy South, Energy Futures Lab and charity 10:10. Researchers will look at the possibility of converting third-rail systems, which provide electricity through a power line near the ground, in order to connect solar panels to train lines directly.