Hope on Wheels: Lithgow’s Solar Battery Train Vision

In the heart of coal country, a bright new future is being forged — and it's riding on rails.

The Lithgow Solar Battery Train project is more than a clever climate solution — it's a blueprint for how regional towns can thrive in a post-coal world. Powered by community energy and backed by world-class expertise, this initiative offers real, tangible hope for local jobs, national innovation, and climate action.

A World-First Vision — Made Right Here in Lithgow

Spearheaded by Dr Michelle Zeibots, Senior Lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney and Deputy Chair of the Lithgow Community Power Project, the plan is to revive the long-disused Lithgow State Mine locomotive workshop. The goal? Turn it into a manufacturing and assembly hub for battery-electric and solar-powered trains — built locally, powered by renewables, and capable of serving both regional NSW and the national export market.

As Dr Zeibots explains in the video report by community member Shirley Lewis, Lithgow already has the industrial skills and history to take this on. Local tradespeople were involved in creating the world’s first solar train in Byron Bay — a project that’s been running since 2017 and remains globally significant.

🎥 Watch the video: Lithgow Shines for the Future

Why This Project Matters

This is not just about trains. It’s about what they represent:

  • Regional jobs with a future — not tied to coal or climate damage
  • Clean, reliable public transport for regional communities and visitors
  • New tourism routes like Lithgow to the Gardens of Stone — without harming the environment
  • National leadership in clean rail manufacturing, putting Lithgow on the map as a hub of climate-smart technology

It’s a model that could be replicated across Australia — and exported around the world.

Community Power in Action

What makes this project so inspiring is how grassroots and expert voices are working together. This isn’t just a top-down plan — it’s being shaped by locals who care deeply about the future of Lithgow. It’s practical, achievable, and backed by engineers, academics, and the community alike.

“It’s time to stop asking whether there’s a future after coal — and start building it.”
– Shirley Lewis

What Needs to Happen Next

To bring this project to life, we need:

  • Funding from state and federal governments to restore the Lithgow rail workshops
  • Commitment to regional climate solutions, not just urban-based initiatives
  • Public pressure and support to show decision-makers this is a community-backed priority

What You Can Do

  • ✅ Watch and share the video
  • ✅ Follow and support the Lithgow Community Power Project
  • ✅ Email your local MP and state reps asking them to fund and fast-track this initiative
  • ✅ Keep raising your voice for projects that bring climate and community together

A Better Future, Built in Lithgow

In a time of rising emissions, worsening climate impacts, and regional job uncertainty, the Lithgow Solar Battery Train offers something we desperately need: hope — backed by action.

This is how we power the future — not with fossil fuels, but with ideas, community, and solar on steel tracks.