Argentina’s first solar train runs on batteries charged by the Andean sun

Published on 20/09/2026 - 7:02 GMT+2 Sunshine is never in short supply in the high-altitude deserts of northern Argentina. In Jujuy province, all that abundant solar energy is now being put to an unusual use. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Locomotion. The Tren Solar de la Quebrada is Latin America’s first solar-powered railway, running 42 kilometres through the Andes on state-of-the-art technology and batteries charged with locally generated solar energy. The train connects six towns in Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed valley that has served as a route through the Andes for thousands of years. Launched in 2024, it was designed in part to bring tourists to communities along the valley – and more significantly, without adding the emissions of a diesel train. How does Argentina’s solar train work? Despite its name, the Tren Solar does not generate electricity from photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on its roof. The two-car train is instead powered by six lithium batteries, which are charged using solar power generated in Jujuy. When it brakes, some of the motion is also converted back into electricity and stored in the batteries for later use. According to the operator, the batteries give the train a range of between 100 and 120 kilometres – more than twice the length of its current route. Two fast-charging points at Volcán and Purmamarca allow operators to recharge along the way. A third is planned for the northern terminus at Tilcara too. This battery-powered system allows the train to run without diesel – or even the overhead electrical lines typically used by electric railways. So far, the new service has been a hit. When it launched in June 2024, the Tren Solar brought passenger rail back to Quebrada de Humahuaca for the first time in 30 years. Since then, more than 90,000 people have taken the train, according to the Jujuy government. Europe is also electrifying its railways South America isn’t the only region upgrading its rail services and weaning them off fossil fuels. Almost 58 per cent of the EU’s railway network was electrified in 2024, according to Eurostat, the bloc’s’s statistical office. Since 2017, Dutch rail operator NS has bought enough renewable electricity to match the amount used by its trains each year. Since 2025, the mix of renewables has included both wind and solar power. In Switzerland, meanwhile, start-up Sun-Ways installed 48 solar panels between the rails on a 100-metre stretch of active track in Buttes in 2025. The pilot project generated around 16,000 kWh during its first year, roughly enough electricity to power four or five European homes for a year. Sun-Ways has also signed an agreement with Italian railway infrastructure company GCF to explore installing the system in Italy. For railways that can’t plug into an existing electric network like they can in Europe, however, Argentina’s tourist train could offer a promising alternative. In places graced with abundant sunshine, the power to leave diesel behind may already be there.