Drones are being used to protect young people who put their lives at risk on the railway during the school holidays, as part of a crackdown on trespassing in the North East.
Northern, Network Rail and British Transport Police (BTP) have been working together to keep people off the tracks on the Durham Coast Line and the Bishop Line.
Railway staff took action after spikes in trespassing and anti-social behaviour during the school holidays on these two routes, in locations including Billingham, Heighington and Stockton, prompted concerns about safety and caused disruption for customers.
Throughout the two-week Easter holiday, staff from Northern, Network Rail and BTP officers patrolled these routes on trains and in cars so they could respond to incidents quickly.
In hotspot areas Network Rail also deployed drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras, allowing them to locate offenders and remove them from the rail line.
Drones were used to catch a young trespasser who threw stones at trains and a train spotter who walked along the line to take photographs.
During another incident, two teenagers who had been spotted lying down on the Seaton Carew level crossing fled from the tracks when they spotted a drone overhead.
Following the success of the crackdown in Easter, Northern, Network Rail and BTP are planning to use similar tactics over the summer holidays.
Staff from all three organisations also regularly visit schools in the local area to warn children about the dangers of trespassing on the railway.
Jason Wade, regional director for Northern, said:
“We are working hard with BTP and Network Rail to crack down on this extremely dangerous and illegal behaviour.”
“Trespassing can have devastating consequences and it also causes severe disruption for our customers, as the line is closed and services are suspended whenever an incident is reported.”
Superintendent Dave Rams, from BTP, said: “Not only is trespass an extremely serious offence, it can also result in life-changing consequences or even death.
"While many young people look at the railway as being an exciting place to be, that could not be further from the truth. It is an immensely dangerous environment, and we will continue to take all reports of trespass extremely seriously.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have access to extensive CCTV footage alongside groundbreaking drone capabilities that means when these incidents do happen, we’re able to quickly respond and identify offenders.
"We will continue to proactively look for those breaking the law throughout the summer months, and I would urge any member of the public who witnesses someone trespassing on the railway to let us know by texting us on 61016 – you could be saving their life.”
Jason Hamilton, route director for Network Rail’s North and East route, said: “Trespassing on the railway is not only illegal, but an incredibly dangerous act. Every incident risks lives – not just of those trespassing but also our railway staff and passengers.
“Using drone technology as part of our coordinated approach with Northern and BTP has proven highly effective in quickly identifying and responding to trespass incidents. As we approach the summer holidays, we remind everyone to consider the serious consequences of trespassing.”
According to Network Rail, there were more than 19,300 trespass incidents on the rail network in 2023/24. That’s one every half an hour.
Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.
Image credits: Northern
