The Ministry of Railways on Thursday, November 5, received the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award for solarising the highest number of buildings among Central ministries and departments, an official statement said. Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan presented the award at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

Source: Ministry of Railways official statement via NewKerala (ANI)

The ministry topped the category of 'Maximum Buildings Solarized by Central Ministries/Departments' under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Of the 15,868 railway buildings identified across the country as feasible for rooftop solar, 12,495 — about 79 per cent — have already been fitted with rooftop solar systems, the statement said.

12,495railway buildings solarised
15,868buildings identified as feasible
351 MWrooftop solar commissioned
424 MWrooftop solar target

The Railways has commissioned 351 MW of rooftop solar capacity against a target of 424 MW. At the national level, 25,984 of the 39,135 buildings identified across 77 Central ministries and departments have been solarised, about 66 per cent of the total, Indian White Paper reported from the official figures.

Source: Indian White Paper

The Ministry of Railways said it remains committed to solarising all remaining feasible buildings by March 2027, as part of its push for clean, energy-efficient operations.

Why it matters

Railways is one of India's largest institutional electricity users. Rooftop solar on stations and offices cuts its power bill and emissions, and its 79 per cent coverage is the benchmark other Central ministries are now measured against.