High-speed international trains linking Paris and Amsterdam set off this week powered by electricity from a ground-breaking solar tunnel.
The 2.2 mile long tunnel crossing Antwerp in Belgium is fitted with 16,000 solar panels covering 50,000 square metres, roughly eight football pitches.
The panels produce 3,300 megawatts per hour of electricity, which will be enough to power 4,000 trains a year.
Enfinity, the US based company which developed the project, said it would decrease CO2 emissions by 2,400 tons per year.
"By using electricity generated on-site, we eliminateenergy losses and transport costs"，said the company.
The first "green train" left Antwerp on Monday for the Dutch border, filled with the usual commuters and students.
Most were unaware that for the first dozen miles or so, the train's engines were plugged into the solar energy source fitted along the line.
The electricity produced feeds into the line's infrastructure, for lighting, signals and in-train power points.
The company hopes the project, which cost £12m, will be extended to the US.


据英国《每日邮报》8日报道，一段由太阳能隧道供电，连接巴黎和阿姆斯特丹的跨国高铁于本周启用。

这座长2.2英里的隧道途径比利时安特卫普省，全程装配1.6万个太阳能电池板，电池板总面积达5万平方米，相当于8个足球场。
这些电池板可以产生3,300兆瓦的电量，每年足够为4000趟列车供电。

这一项目的研发机构--美国Enfinity表示，该项目每年可降低2400吨的二氧化碳排放。
"现场发电降低了能量损耗以及运输成本"，Enfinity公司说。

首列乘载了普通乘客和学生的"环保列车"于本周一从安特卫普出发，驶向荷兰边界。

大多数人没有发现，在列车行驶的前10几英里，车的发动机是插在安装在铁路线的太阳能源头上。

太阳能产生的电力主要用于照明、信号、车内电源等铁路基础设施的电源供给。
Enfinity希望这项价值1200万英镑的项目也能在美国启动。

• international [,intə´næʃənəl] a.国际的，世界的 (初中英语单词)
• tunnel [´tʌnl] n.隧道 v.挖隧道 (初中英语单词)
• project [prə´dʒekt, ´prɔdʒekt] v.设计；投掷 n.计划 (初中英语单词)
• decrease [di´kri:s, ´di:kri:s] v.&n.减少；减退 (初中英语单词)
• energy [´enədʒi] n.活力，精力；能力 (初中英语单词)
• transport [træn´spɔ:t] n.运输；流放 (初中英语单词)
• amsterdam [´æmstədæm] n.阿姆斯特丹 (高中英语单词)
• electricity [i,lek´trisiti] n.电；电学；电流 (高中英语单词)
• belgium [´beldʒəm] n.比利时 (高中英语单词)
• roughly [´rʌfli] ad.粗糙地；毛糙地 (高中英语单词)
• eliminate [i´limineit] vt.消除；淘汰 (高中英语单词)
• unaware [,ʌnə´weə] a.不知道的；不觉察的 (英语四级单词)
• lighting [´laitiŋ] n.照明，发光 (英语四级单词)
• extended [iks´tendid] a.伸长的；广大的 (英语六级单词)