Network Rail has announced the sixth successful iteration of an annual two-week rail safety programme carried out across Teesside, County Durham and the North East.
The programme, which is carried out in partnership with the British Transport Police (BTP) and Northern, forms a crucial part of Network Rail’s anti-trespass prevention activity, and aims to reduce unsafe behaviour both on and near the railway.
Drones were used in order to expand the possible search area
© Network Rail
Between 7–17 April; specialist teams from Network Rail have been out on the railway with both BTP officers and Northern staff with a particular focus on known trespass hotspots.
This year, teams have made extensive use of drone technology, allowing operations to make use of cameras to monitor hard-to-reach areas, spot risks early and respond before incidents occur.
Network Rail mobile operations managers have also been deployed in road vehicles and onboard trains, working closely with BTP officers and Northern colleagues to spot incidents.
During the programme’s first week; joint patrols were carried out between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, whilst drone operations focused their efforts on stations and sidings across the region, successfully preventing two lineside fires at Seaham and Horden from escalating.
On both occasions individuals fled upon sight of the drone, however, a mobile operations manager (MOM) recorded the perpetrators, utilising a thermal imaging camera to track them as they attempted to conceal themselves in nearby trees and bushes. Once they had moved from the railway, the MOM ensured both fires were extinguished, confirming the tracks were safe for operation 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 (13–17 April), operations have expanded across a wider area to include Eaglescliffe to Saltburn, Billingham to Nunthorpe and the Darlington to Bishop Auckland line, again focusing on known trespass hotspots using a combination of ground patrols and drones.