The Tren Solar de la Quebrada, Latin America’s first solar-powered train, runs 42 kilometres through the Andes, connecting six towns in the Quebrada de Humahuaca valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site that has served as a passage through the mountains for millennia.
Launched in June 2024, the service aims to attract tourists to the valley’s communities while avoiding the emissions of a diesel locomotive.
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.
