Upon receiving permission from transportation authorities, a Swiss startup plans to install solar panels on a railway in western Switzerland.

The company Sun-Ways, based in the Swiss town of Ecublens, has created a mechanical method of installing solar panels. In this system, a specially designed train car slides over the tracks and ejects panels that fit between the rails. The panels are secured in place by clamps, and the same mechanism can be used to remove the panels if the tracks require maintenance.

The electricity produced by the panels can be fed into the grid or used to power adjacent train stations. According to Sun-Ways, passenger trains can be equipped with cylindrical brushes to clean the panels by removing debris as the trains go over the system. According to the business, a method for melting snow and ice that accumulates on the panels is being developed.

To show how their method may save labor costs and conserve space, Sun-Ways will conduct a demonstration project in May on a 300-foot section of railway adjacent to the Buttes train station near the French border. According to the business, the installation of panels on each mile of the Swiss rail network could provide about 2% of the country’s electricity needs.

According to Swissinfo, the International Union of Railways has expressed doubt about the plan, claiming that the system would be a fire hazard. However, Sun-Ways claims that integrated sensors will ensure the panels continue to operate as intended.

Baptiste Danichert, a co-founder of Sun-Ways, told Swissinfo that the largest obstacle is not technology. “The railway industry, which is typically not very open to innovation, needs a change of mentality.”