Fossil fuels are used in many industries, including transportation, manufacturing, and energy generation, demonstrating their importance in today’s world. As a result of their CO 2 emissions, these activities cause serious environmental problems like air pollution and climate change. Therefore, the everyday use of transport networks is one of the primary variables determining CO 2 emissions. The transportation and energy supply sectors account for the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for around 28.3% and 25.3% of the total, respectively Krishnamoorthy et al. (2021). Furthermore, 29% of global energy consumption is attributable to the transport sector, which has grown significantly over the past few decades, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) (Jia et al., 2020). The world’s rapid economic expansion and increasing energy demand necessitate a shift toward green energy resources. Hybrid energy systems (HES) are being developed to make transportation systems more adaptable and eco-friendly, addressing environmental issues and the need for sustainable energy solutions. This transition from traditional sources is crucial for transportation systems. HES, which combines various types of renewable energy resources (RESs), provides an optimal solution for developing sustainable energy (Gerlici et al., 2025).

One of the important avenues in the pursuit of efficient and sustainable mobility solutions is the use of RES in transportation networks. This is a crucial strategy for lowering fossil fuel consumption and the adverse environmental effects that electric vehicles (EVs) have on public transit systems. Electrified trains are thought to be the most automated, least polluting, and energy-efficient forms of transportation, according to Alshoufi et al. (2024). Additionally, Teng et al. (2022) concur that the railway is often powered by electric energy, making it a low-carbon transit alternative among the many other means of transportation. Thus, building electric railroads is crucial to the nation’s long-term, sustainable development. By reducing reliance on the primary grid, electrified rail transportation systems help to reduce energy use. Making the most of RES will help achieve this. One of the first photovoltaic (PV)-powered cars in history is named “Sunmobile,” which is tiny William Cobb designed the 38-cm General Motors vehicle in 1955 (Automostory, 2021). Several feasibility studies analyze the solar panels not only on top of the train but also how they might be deployed at train and metro stops. Examined the potential for solar energy generation in China’s rail and road transportation systems. The authors examined the quantity of energy that can be produced by solar panels incorporated into China’s rail and road transportation. Additionally, Stegenta et al. (2024) conducted a detailed analysis on the application of photovoltaic panels installed on the roofs and sidewalls of passenger train carriages. Their study demonstrated that such integration can significantly reduce electricity consumption by utilizing onboard renewable energy generation. The research also emphasized the importance of accounting for environmental factors such as shading and variable solar exposure, as well as the role of energy storage systems in addressing temporal mismatches between energy generation and demand. These findings highlight the potential of hybrid solar solutions in enhancing the energy efficiency and sustainability of modern railway transportation. In order to convert train infrastructure into a PV field, the Italian business Green Rail is also suggesting integrating solar panels. Since relying solely on one source is no longer essential, the integration of RES is growing considerably. About 300 stations in India use PV and wind turbine (WT) energy systems, which may be integrated with other sources to increase system dependability and efficiency (Kuznetsov et al., 2024).

One of the crucial phases in the creation of sustainable energy solutions is the installation of WT systems. Like solar energy systems, these items offer a sustainable and clean energy source that can significantly reduce GHG emissions. At the moment, PV energy systems and WT energy systems are being used in a growing number of businesses. Wind farms are among the most effective ways to use WT energy to power electric trains in the railway system. WT is crucial for sustainable energy solutions, providing clean RESs that significantly reduce GHG emissions. Wind farms are an efficient way to use WT energy to power electric trains in the railway system. For instance, it is mentioned that starting in 2017, WT systems would power the trains of Nederlander Spoorwegen (NS), a Dutch state-owned railway operator that operates passenger trains in the country (Kuznetsov et al., 2024). WT with horizontal axes (HAWT) and vertical axes (VAWT) are the two primary varieties of WT. Usually, wind turbines make up the VAWT (Seifi Davari et al., 2024). The incapacity of RES supplies to be stored for later use is one of its disadvantages. Therefore, while they are still available, it is imperative to extract as much energy as possible from them. Furthermore, it is hard to ensure that they will always be regular and focused because they usually depend on the climate of the place. This indicates that because RES depend on the environment, their production is uncertain. Energy storage technologies, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS), are included in the review, which can stabilize the energy network, reduce fossil fuel use, and mitigate the environmental impacts of EVs. It also highlights the importance of maximizing RESs in supporting electrified rail transportation systems. BESS can improve the power quality of a distribution system, according to Khan et al. (2025), Xin et al. (2023). Furthermore, the battery may be precisely positioned inside the distribution network to regulate the voltage and distribution system loss. The research offers a realistic vision for battery technology and electric hybrid cars in the context of power system applications. Additionally, Madhusudanan and Padhmanabhaiyappan (2024) have looked at using BESS to generate electricity from WT and PV. A power system simulation study has been given by the authors to improve the hybrid generating system’s imbalanced performance. The functioning of the hybrid RESs with BESS in the daytime power market has been examined by Bakhtvar and Al-Hinai (2021). Through testing in a sample study scenario, the author has suggested optimal operational techniques. Thus, in order to guarantee seamless operation, the vital role of BESS necessitates sophisticated planning and technological solutions. Applying the BESS’s strategic integration with other RES is crucial.

This study explores the use of RESs, particularly PV and WT, in rail transportation systems. It focuses on hybrid energy generation strategies, including PV installed on moving trains and micro-hydro WT placed on the roof. The study emphasizes the importance of stochastic energy characterization in RES and proposes the application of a BESS to monitor excess energy from RESs. This might not be enough, though, to completely satisfy the train’s energy needs. As a result, more PV is taken into account than the railway truck’s sleepers. This study aims to boost the use of RESs and reduce the amount of electricity flowing from the main grid. This paper suggests a strategic plan for improving the state of the battery storage system in the HES to accomplish the aim. Additionally, using analytical calculations based on three situations, it presents a mathematical model of the suggested system.

This paper explores the use of RES on a moving electric train, study specifically in Almaty, Kazakhstan, reached by the “Talgo Tulpar” train from Astana. Building the system’s mathematical model is crucial since it aids in comprehending its constituent parts. This paper discusses the BESS and the solar sleepers along the intended route, in addition to the PV and WT on top of the train. Next, the right kind of wind turbine and solar panels have been chosen. The wind turbine is chosen as a tiny VAWT that is horizontally oriented, while the train and sleepers’ solar panels are both monocrystalline. Reducing the amount of energy coming from the upstream utility grid (primary energy network) is the aim of this endeavor, serve as the foundation for the mathematical model that is built. To meet the train’s energy needs, the share of RESs should be raised. The study identifies train characteristics, such as trip schedule and route length, to design an HES for rail transportation. The train’s technical parameters are crucial for determining roof space for PV and WT. In many industries, including transportation, an Energy Management System (EMS) is an essential technological framework that maximizes energy utilization, boosts operational effectiveness, and lessens environmental effects.

By reducing the import of fossil fuels, RES helps countries to increase energy security while maintaining their standard of life without harming nature. Together with other energy producers like fuel cells and microturbines, the microgrid (MG) uses RES like PV and WT. The idea was established to lower pollution levels and generate costs. The paper presents an HES for the railway, utilizing WT, PV, BESS, and solar sleepers as distributed resources. The EMS is based on a strategic plan to enhance the railway system’s energy network, as illustrated in Figure 5.

The BESS strategic plan aims to prioritize renewable energy generation over grid energy, as shown in Figure 6. If the State of Charge (SOC) is less than 85%, the plan calls for charging when the train’s need for renewable energy is exceeded. If there is enough SOC, excess energy is returned to the grid, optimizing power consumption and perhaps generating income through feed-in tariffs. While grid energy supports any additional load requirements, the BESS discharges to protect battery life and performance if the SOC is higher than 20%. This strategy shows a dedication to sustainable EMS and the ability of cutting-edge control systems to improve the use of RESs.

The integration of a HES into Kazakhstan’s railway network is presented in this study. The Talgo Tulpar train, a high-speed train built by Talgo S.L. of Spain, is undergoing a feasibility study to connect Almaty and Astana. The train is a well-traveled route between the two cities and is referred to as the “RENFE S130″ in Spain. With a 1200-km trip taking about 19 h, the train’s installation has greatly shortened travel times. At specific moments, stations might pause. The trip map is shown in Figure 8. Table 5 provides a thorough explanation of the Talgo train schedule between Astana and Almaty. Consequently, one complete day, or 24 h, was taken into consideration for the simulation studies (from 12:00 p.m. until 11:59 a.m. the next day). MATLAB algorithm simulation is used to simulate and evaluate the suggested system, which integrates RESs such as PV, WT, BESS, and the main grid. To investigate how the EMS reacts when sharing power across several sources in all operational modes, several situations are investigated. For a full day, we examined several scenarios for this simulation. There are three cases for this operation.

Case 1: PV and WT.

SOC min and SOC max are 20% and 80%, respectively, in all modes. Throughout the day, the solar system functions in all modes with a consistent distribution, with its power peaking at midday, depending on the amount of light irradiation. WT production peaks and troughs are caused by the wind speed’s fluctuating erratically throughout the day.

In Case 1, the effectiveness of PV and micro-WT over a moving train is investigated, which is often referred to as the general or basic case. It is crucial to compare this basic case with different scenarios that take into account the integration of PV sleepers and storage systems. The graph depiction of the train’s load, RES usage, and grid energy consumption during motion is displayed in Figure 10. As is evident, the utility grid is primarily responsible for the train’s load. Figure 11 displays the PV and WT’s output power throughout the course of a complete day (12:00 p.m. to 11:59 a.m. the following day). The total generated energy from RESs and energy savings are obtained from the simulation.

In Case 2, the train energy system is equipped with PV, WT, and BESS systems. Examining how the BESS affects the train’s power system is the goal. This instance examines the BESS strategy plan in the HES depicted in Figure 6. The BESS’s SOC should remain between 20% and 85% to ensure battery longevity and reliability. If the SOC is outside the specified limits, a harsh penalty is applied. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) aims to keep the SOC within the permitted range to avoid penalties. Figure 12 shows the train’s load, RESs, and grid energy consumption during the journey. The PSO also aims to maximize the BESS’s charging and discharging conditions by adhering to the strategy plan.

Figures 13, 14 show the ideal BESS SOC level and BESS power depending on the SOC level. The BESS’s state of charging and discharging is visible. The charging state of the BESS is indicated by positive BESS power values, while the discharging state is shown by negative BESS power indications. When there is positive electricity, the battery’s stored energy increases because energy is entering the battery. Conversely, negative graph values show that energy is leaving the battery to satisfy the system’s power requirements.

However, the train’s energy requirements cannot be met by the quantity of RESs produced. Table 6 illustrates this by showing the figures for total grid power use, total renewable power generation, and the total BESS power storage. The grid’s energy usage is far higher than that of its renewable energy output. However, since the combined PV and WT are small-scale and situated above the train, it makes sense. There is an insignificant amount of renewable energy produced when the BESS is actively charging or discharging. This implies that certain system qualities, such as keeping a high SOC to handle unforeseen demand spikes or having a reserve for periods when renewables are not produced, are prioritized in the operational system design.

A novel and untested technique of producing power across railway rails, Case 3 examines solar sleepers’ influence on the railway power system. These sleepers have a great potential for producing enormous amounts of energy, even if this has not been shown in the literature. The graph of the train’s load, RESs, and grid power consumption during the journey is shown in Figure 15. As is evident, a significant amount of energy is produced by all RESs, causing the excess energy to be sent back into the grid. The graph shows the high generation of hybrid power resources, with solar sleepers being the primary source of energy. However, the performance of these sleepers is influenced by the climate, which can affect their ability to meet the train’s energy demand.

Furthermore, the suggested strategy has been implemented to optimize BESS charging and discharging decision options since case 3 also takes BESS into account. Based on the best charging and discharging choices, Figures 16, 17 display the optimal BESS SOC level and the BESS power indicators. With an SOC above 30%, the observation demonstrates that the BESS is actively charged and drained, preventing over-discharge. The BESS power has variability, frequently switching between charging and discharging, suggesting potential system optimization for stability. A balance among charging in excess and discharging at times of demand that is high or low generation is suggested by the distribution of positive and negative numbers.

Table 6 presents the features of the energy network using solar sleepers, as planned in the proposed strategic plan. Due to the substantial power generation capability of solar sleepers, the dependency on grid-supplied electricity can be significantly reduced. However, since solar sleepers do not operate continuously throughout the day, the train’s electrical load remains primarily reliant on grid power during periods of low solar efficiency.

This relates to around the hours of 6 p.m.–7 a.m. The indication of power savings in this research instance is substantially higher than in previous scenarios. Approximately 53.4% of the grid’s energy may be saved with the suggested configuration. Additionally, solar sleepers are used on the 1200-km railway track that connects Astana and Almaty. As a result, each element under consideration has a different energy generation index. Each resource’s energy generation index should be stabilized to reduce grid energy consumption.

This paper explores the incorporation of hybrid energy harvesting technologies into Kazakhstan’s rail network. The project is on a small-scale PV and WT energy application with a BESS on the Talgo Tulpar, a moving electric train. To evaluate the performance and energy-generating potential of the suggested HES, the research created a thorough mathematical model and employed MATLAB simulations. The study considered three case studies: PV/WT, PV/WT/BESS/Grid, and PV/WT/BESS/Grid/Solar sleepers. According to the findings, an effective EMS combined with PV and WT energy sources may greatly lessen reliance on the primary electricity grid. Even modest installations of PV and WT can result in energy savings. The addition of a BESS adds layer of efficiency, allowing for more efficient energy storage and usage. The study also investigated the high potential of solar sleepers, an innovative approach in the field.