British Transport Police (BTP) in Scotland are now using drones over and around the country’s railways so that they can respond more quickly to incidents, improve safety, and reduce disruption.

Two drones are available, piloted by officers trained in their use and carried in BTP cars based in Edinburgh and Glasgow. These allow officers to view incidents more quickly, enabling better management of any disruption as it occurs.

Network Rail also has a drone, based near Glasgow Central, which can be controlled from the railway’s control room beyond a visual line of sight. It can also be deployed and flown remotely, so that it is better able to support Network Rail’s response to incidents to provide faster situational awareness and improved incident management, thereby reducing the possibility of disruption to train services.

We’re very pleased to introduce this technology to Scotland, which was launched in February 2026. In an area that faces significant disruption, the drones will help us focus on disruption hotspots, providing early situational awareness to support officers on the ground and informing decision-making at live incidents, including trespass, concerns for welfare, cable thefts and more.

Drones were first introduced in February 2026 in an area that faces significant disruption. The help BTP to focus on disruption hotspots and provide early situational awareness to support officers on the ground, to allow them to make informed decisions aboutt live incidents such as trespass, concerns for peoples’ welfare, and cable thefts.

Network Rail is also using drones in the East Midlands, and using them in northeast England to spot lineside fires caused by trespassers .

Lorna McEwan, Chief Superintendent, British Transport Police, commented that having seen the positive impact of drones in other areas, BTP are confident that they will make a positive impact. They have already been deployed 33 times to target live incidents and high-risk locations, one of which resulted in three people found trackside. The drone’s speaker system was used to request those involved to leave the area, after which they were spoken to by officers.

“Glasgow Central is one of the most vital transport hubs in Scotland, connecting thousands of passengers every day and playing a key role in keeping people moving. As recent incidents in the surrounding area have shown, the ability to respond quickly and effectively is absolutely critical. “By introducing a remotely operated drone here, we’re giving our teams faster access to real-time information, improving safety, and helping us assess situations. Whether it’s supporting incident response, monitoring infrastructure, or working alongside the emergency services, this technology will help us keep the railway running safely and resiliently.”

Leigh Gribbon, route performance improvement manager, Network Rail Scotland