Thats a lot of workspace to fit solar after they move out.
Usually, the right of way, atleast in countries like the UK are quite wide. Some of that is because beeching pulled up the rails and there is just empty space now, some of that is because it just needs room to breath and put switchgear and control boxes.
In Canada they have 10m left and right of the rail alignment usually. It’s a massive strip of land when you add it all up, and it already has power runs for signaling, axle counters, hotbox detectors .etc
The large gaps left and right of the tracks where required for steam locomotives, so any sparks flying out of the burner would not ignite nearby trees or bushes.
Are rail right-of-ways that wide though?
HS2 is currently being built and you can see the worksite from space.
Thats a lot of workspace to fit solar after they move out.
Usually, the right of way, atleast in countries like the UK are quite wide. Some of that is because beeching pulled up the rails and there is just empty space now, some of that is because it just needs room to breath and put switchgear and control boxes.
In Canada they have 10m left and right of the rail alignment usually. It’s a massive strip of land when you add it all up, and it already has power runs for signaling, axle counters, hotbox detectors .etc
The large gaps left and right of the tracks where required for steam locomotives, so any sparks flying out of the burner would not ignite nearby trees or bushes.
Its still needed for maintenance crews honestly.
And hot boxes are a thing the US sometimes deals with, so that could create a fire in any nearby brush.