Network Rail is using drone technology to prevent lineside fires that spread due to trespassers on the railway.

Working in partnership with British Transport Police (BTP) and train operator Northern, they carried out a series of joint railway safety operations across Teesside, County Durham, and the Northeast in a two-week programme during the Easter period.

The anti-trespass programme has been running for six years as part of Network Rail’s efforts to reduce unsafe behaviour on and near the railway, minimising disruption to train services, and engaging with local communities.

From 7th to 17th April, specialist teams from Network Rail, working with BTP officers and staff from Northern, were out on the railway, focusing on known places for trespassing. This year, they made extensive use of drones, which allowed the teams to monitor places that were hard to reach, spot risks early, and act quickly before incidents occurred.

During the first week, teams working between Middlesbrough and Sunderland carried out drone operations on stations and sidings. They spotted two lineside fires at Seaham and Horden and prevented them from escalating, so ensuring train services would not be disrupted.

On both occasions, the individuals fled after spotting the drone, but a mobile operations manager (MOM) recorded the youths and tracked them with a thermal imaging camera as they tried to hide in nearby trees and bushes. After the trespassers had moved away from the railway, the MOM ensured both fires were fully extinguished, then confirmed it was safe to resume train services.

The teams have expanded their operations this week, 13th to 17th April, to a wider area, including the lines between Eaglescliffe and Saltburn, Billingham and Nunthorpe, and Darlington to Bishop Auckland. As before, the teams will use both ground patrols and drones to focus on known hotspots for trespassing.

Network Rail is also using drones to check infrastructure, and using them in the East Midlands in its fight against trespassing.

“The Easter school holidays are a key time for us, and this is the sixth year we’ve run this anti-trespass prevention activity. The aim is simple: to get the message out that trespassing is dangerous and not acceptable, particularly for young people.”

“What we tend to do is have a colleague in the cab of a train. If they spot someone trespassing, they can radio straight through to a BTP patrol vehicle that’s travelling alongside the route. That means our response time can be as little as five minutes, and we’re able to get there quickly and deal with it.
“The use of drones has been a real game-changer for us. We now use them in specific hotspot areas where we’ve had ongoing trespass issues. They’ve helped us stop fires, identify landslips and even catch people just before they step onto the railway.”

Phil Gowland, Network Rail local operations manager