A Sydney legacy train, which is powered by curved roof top solar panels and a lithium-ion battery, has become the world’s first solar train.

70 years ago, at the Chullora Railway Workshops in Melbourne, two 600 series rail sets were designed to produce high quality but low traffic using aluminum aircraft engineering that was created during the Second World War.

Today, thanks to Byron Bay and the Lismore-based solar installation firm Nickel Solar, dedicated rail fans begin the legacy of technology.

Together they replaced the conventional diesel engine of the heritage train with solar powered electric traction motors to create the first solar train in the world.

Both rail carriages have been equipped with curved solar panels that produced up to 6.5 kW of electricity to charge the train’s battery bank with lithium ion.

An additional backup is available with a 30kW range on the roof of a storage shed while the train braking system converts traction motors into recharging generators.

The Byron Bay Railway has been transporting over 90,000 visitors and locals along the 3 km stretch of road between Sunrise Beach Station and the Byron Beach station in the city center ever since operation began in December 2017.

To date, the service generated 58,210 kWh of energy more than it needs, exported to the grid through Enova. The venture was awarded by the judges at the solar development and construction awards of the Clean Energy Council in 2018 as a groundbreaking instance of transport with low emissions.