North East rail safety patrols stop lineside fires using drones
Iain Hoey
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Lineside fires stopped during Easter patrols
Network Rail has used drone technology during Easter anti-trespass operations across Teesside, County Durham and the North East, including incidents where two lineside fires at Seaham and Horden were prevented from spreading without disrupting services.
Network Rail said the joint rail safety operations ran from 7 to 17 April in partnership with the British Transport Police (BTP) and Northern, with activity focused on known trespass hotspots.
The two-week programme is in its sixth year and forms part of anti-trespass prevention work aimed at reducing unsafe behaviour on and near the railway.
Specialist teams worked on the railway alongside BTP officers and Northern staff, using drones to monitor hard-to-reach areas, identify risks early and respond before incidents occurred.
Network Rail mobile operations managers were deployed in road vehicles and onboard trains, working with BTP officers and Northern colleagues to identify incidents.
During the first week, joint patrols were carried out between Middlesbrough and Sunderland.
Drone operations around stations and sidings in the region prevented two lineside fires at Seaham and Horden from escalating, with no disruption to services.
On both occasions, the individuals fled after spotting the drone.
Phil Gowland describes how patrols operate
A mobile operations manager recorded the youths and used a thermal imaging camera to track them as they tried to conceal themselves in nearby trees and bushes.
Once they had moved away from the railway, the mobile operations manager extinguished both fires fully and confirmed it was safe for train operations to continue.
Phil Gowland, Network Rail local operations manager, said: “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.
“Being able to warn people early and prevent danger has been hugely beneficial.”
This week, from 13 to 17 April, operations expanded to include Eaglescliffe to Saltburn, Billingham to Nunthorpe and the Darlington to Bishop Auckland line, with patrols again focused on known trespass hotspots using drones and ground teams.
Gowland added: “I’ve seen first-hand what can happen when people trespass, and it’s not nice – not for the individual if they’re injured or worse, and not for our colleagues either.
“The good news is this approach works.
“We see a significant reduction in trespass during and after these operations, particularly over Easter and the summer holidays.”
Network Rail said the Easter patrols form part of its longer-term work with train operators and the police to keep passengers, staff and local communities safe.
