Network Rail is strengthening its ability to respond quickly and safely to incidents across its East Midlands route through the growing use of drones.
Since September 2025, drone flights have generated around £100,000 in savings on the East Midlands route, thanks to improved productivity, faster incident assessment and a reduced need for disruptive line blocks. The technology is increasingly being embedded into day‑to‑day operations as a tool for safer, more efficient railway management.
Building Drone Capability into Front‑Line Operations
The East Midlands route currently has three trained drone pilots among its mobile operations managers (MOMs). These front‑line leaders are now deploying drones more frequently to support the safe and reliable operation of the railway.
Over the past 90 days, the MOM drone pilots have flown more than 500 minutes on both planned and emergency tasks. This aerial capability is helping teams:
- Assess incidents faster
- Reduce train service delays
- Minimise risk to colleagues on the ground by reducing the need to send staff trackside
How Drones Are Supporting Incident Response
Drones are now being used to support a wide range of incidents on the East Midlands route, including:
Lineside fires and overhead line safety
During lineside fire incidents, drones equipped with infrared sensors can assess the temperature of overhead line equipment. This enables teams to understand quickly whether it is safe to restore power, reducing both risk and disruption.
Trespass and animal incursions
Drones are also improving how the route responds to trespass and animal incursions, which are increasingly significant drivers of performance issues.
- In Nottingham, recent drone flights allowed pilots to quickly confirm the line was clear without blocking train services.
- In Mansfield, a drone deployment helped teams track the movements of an individual on the tracks and safely intercept them as they exited the railway.
This aerial perspective means colleagues do not need to walk extended sections of the railway to locate incidents, improving both safety and response times.
Flooding assessments and resilient operations
Drones are providing rapid aerial insight during flooding events, allowing operations teams to understand how floodwater is affecting key routes and assets.
A recent example was at Draycott, over the weekend starting 27 February, where drones helped build a clearer picture of water levels and impacts. On average, using drones for flooding assessments:
- Halves inspection times
- Can save the route around £2,000 per assessment
This contributes directly to a more resilient railway, enabling faster, better‑informed decisions about speed restrictions, line closures and recovery.
Training, Testing and Confidence for Live Incident Use
To strengthen operational readiness, the route recently ran a programme of emergency flight tests in Derby on Monday 2 March, simulating scenarios such as trespassers on the network. The exercises were designed to build pilot confidence in deploying drones at short notice during real incidents.
The additional training also explored new drone features that could be particularly valuable for search‑and‑find operations. As a result, pilots report feeling more confident, capable and ready to respond.
A “Game‑Changing” Tool Against Trespass Delays
Dan Matthews, Network Rail Operations Director, said:
“Emergency drone flight tests enhance our operational capability to respond to incidents, helping us to deliver a safe and reliable railway for our passengers and colleagues.
“With delays from trespass becoming one of the most significant causes of disruption on the railway – over 1.5 million delay minutes across the network last year – drones offer a game-changing speed of response.
“By surveying the railway safely, our colleagues can be directed to potential incidents quickly, rather than having to walk miles along the railway to find them. This means a safer working environment for our teams, while vastly speeding up the process.”
For rail managers and operations leaders across the UK, the East Midlands route’s experience demonstrates how drone technology can be integrated into mainstream railway operations to tackle safety risks, reduce delay minutes and improve overall performance.
Image and video credit: Network Rail
