A Network Rail team has flown a drone Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for 25 kilometres over dry land – believed to be the furthest such civilian drone flight in Britain.
The proof-of-concept flight – which took place on Wednesday 27 October from Bicester along the East West Railway – is the culmination of 18 months of work. It is a significant step forward in terms of how drones can be used to inspect the railway safely, quickly and cost-effectively, Network Rail said.
Until now, drones have only flown above the railway when in clear sight of the operator, usually only for four or five kilometres at a time. While this can still be a helpful tool to inspect rail infrastructure, it requires the team involved to set up multiple times at different locations. The ability to fly BVLOS enables Network Rail's air operations team to inspect the railway over a much larger area while saving valuable time and costs.
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