Network Rail Secures Approval for Remote Drone Operations

Network Rail has received approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority to use remotely operated drones beyond the pilot's direct line of sight, marking a major advance in how the organisation monitors and protects railway infrastructure.

The authorisation, secured in partnership with drone specialist heliguy™, will allow Network Rail's Western and Anglia routes to deploy beyond visual line of sight drone operations at sites in Gloucester and Romford.

The technology will be used to support infrastructure inspections, improve real-time awareness of conditions on the railway and strengthen responses to incidents, disruption and security risks.

Rather than requiring pilots to be physically present at each location, the drones will be operated remotely by heliguy pilots from the company's Remote Operations Command Centre in Newcastle.

The approval follows around 16 months of joint development work between Network Rail and heliguy to demonstrate that drone operations can be carried out safely in complex railway environments, including busy and built-up areas. The authorisation has been granted under the Civil Aviation Authority's UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment framework.

Network Rail says the new capability will give operational teams faster access to live aerial information, helping them assess infrastructure, plan work more effectively and respond more quickly when issues arise.

Simon Gillibrand, Operations Director for Network Rail's Western route, said the technology would help teams make better decisions and keep services moving safely.

He said: "This is about giving our teams better and faster access to information, allowing them to make informed decisions on the ground. In a busy railway environment, being able to assess infrastructure remotely will help us plan work more effectively, respond more quickly to incidents and reduce disruption for passengers and freight customers."

Ken Durling, Asset Engineer for Track Renewals on Network Rail's Anglia route, said securing approval for beyond visual line of sight operations around live rail infrastructure had required sustained collaboration and careful problem-solving.

The drones are expected to provide live imagery and data that can be used to manage incidents, improve service recovery and support efforts to deter trespass, vandalism and other criminal activity.

Richard Barke, Route Crime and Security Manager for the Anglia route, said the capability could help bring operations and infrastructure teams closer together by providing immediate visibility of conditions on the ground.

He said the ability to see incidents in real time would support faster and better-informed decision-making, with the potential to improve resilience and recovery across the network.

The system will use automated "drone-in-a-box" technology, allowing regular flights to be carried out during the working week without the need for on-site pilots. The drones will be equipped with high-resolution and thermal imaging cameras to support inspections, monitoring and operational decision-making.

Liam Barrington, Operations Drone Project Manager for the Western route, described the approval as a significant milestone for Network Rail, saying it would transform how operational and route crime teams work by reducing the need for staff to access trackside locations.

Initial activity will focus on trial deployments at Romford and Gloucester, but Network Rail expects the results to inform wider adoption across the railway.

The project also demonstrates how advanced drone technology can be integrated safely into critical national infrastructure, potentially paving the way for wider use across the rail industry and other infrastructure sectors.