Network Rail is now using drones to improve its response times and save money when responding to incidents across its East Midlands route.

Since September 2025, £100,000 has been saved by improving productivity and avoiding the imposition of line blocks.

Network Rail now has three mobile operations managers (MOMs) trained as drone pilots, who are increasingly flying the drones in support of a safer and more reliable railway.

During the last three months, drones have been deployed for more than 500 minutes on planned and emergency tasks, resulting in enabling teams to assess incidents faster, a reduction in delays to train services, and minimising the risk to colleagues on the ground.

Among the incidents where drones have been deployed are:

• Lineside fires, where the temperature of overhead line equipment is assessed by infrared sensors to determine quickly whether it is safe to restore power.
  
• Trespass and animal incursions, where drones have checked whether the line was clear without the need to suspend train services, and the movements of an individual on the tracks enabled them to be intercepted when they exited the railway.
  
• Flooding assessments, where drones have provided a rapid aerial insight into how key routes are being affected by floodwater, with an average saving of around £2,000 for each assessment.

On Monday, 2nd March, a programme of emergency flight tests took place in Derby that simulated various scenarios, such as people trespassing on the railway.

This additional training was designed to boost pilots’ confidence in using drones and their search and find capabilities, enabling pilots to feel more confident and capable in their use.

Drones have also been used by Network Rail in the West Midlands to monitor known ‘hotspots’ where falling leaves cause disruption to train services, and by the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway to carry out a survey of its engine sheds to determine whether solar panels could be installed on the roof. 

“Emergency drone flight tests enhance our operational capability to respond to incidents, helping us to deliver a safe and reliable railway for our passengers and colleagues. With delays from trespass becoming one of the most significant causes of disruption on the railway – over 1.5 million delay minutes across the network last year – drones offer a game-changing speed of response. By surveying the railway safely, our colleagues can be directed to potential incidents quickly, rather than having to walk miles along the railway to find them. This means a safer working environment for our teams, while vastly speeding up the process.”

Dan Matthews, Network Rail operations director