Artist's impression showing solar panals on the roof of Blackfriars station

Work is under way to create the world’s largest solar bridge, which will be home to the new Blackfriars train station in the City of London.

More than 4,400 solar panels are being installed on the rolof of Blackfriars station

An upgraded station is being built on a Victorian bridge spanning the Thames as part of Network Rail’s £5.5 billion Thameslink project.

When complete, it will be the first station to span the river.

Blackfriars Underground station closed in 2009 for the work to take place.

Work to install more than 4,400 solar panels over 6,000m2 of roof started this week.

Blackfriars station will become the world's largest solar bridge when complete

The £7.3m worth of panels will generate 50 per cent of the station’s energy and reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 511 tonnes per year.

The new station will also feature rain harvesting systems and sun pipes for natural lighting.

Lindsay Vamplew, Network Rail’s project director for Blackfriars, said: “We’re creating a spacious, modern station and delivering a vastly improved train service for passengers, while at the same time installing London’s largest solar array to make Blackfriars more environmentally-friendly and sustainable.

“The Victorian rail bridge at Blackfriars is part of our railway history. Constructed in the age of steam, we’re bringing it bang up to date with 21st-century solar technology to create an iconic station for the city.”

The only other known solar bridge is the Kurilpa Footbridge in Brisbane, Australia.

The Thameslink project will enable longer trains to run on the route from Bedford to Brighton through London.

Once the upgrade is complete, up to 24 trains per hour will be able to run on the central London section of the route.