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Drones for rail: Increasing deployment in the European market [free access]

January 1, 2019

The deployment of drones in the railway sector for conducting surveys, carrying out inspections, and ensuring security has been advancing rapidly. These deployments are most prominent and widespread in Europe, particularly on national rail networks.

 

Drone-powered solutions, also referred to as unmanned aerial system (UAS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), are being developed, trialled, and deployed by various European rail players for complex as well as mundane tasks.

 

Estimated industry size 

 

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the civil aviation regulatory authority of the European Union (EU), has stated that between 2016 and 2022, the size of the global UAS market is expected to increase to USD21.23 billion by 2022, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.99 per cent.

 

Further, the Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR) Joint Undertaking (SJU) issued the “European Drones Outlook Study: Unlocking the Value for Europe” in November 2016, which concluded that:

 

• The European demand for drones may exceed EUR10 billion per year by 2035 and EUR15 billion by 2050, and
• By 2050, around 7 million drones for leisure are expected to be operational across Europe and a fleet of 400,000 drones is expected to be used for commercial and government missions.

 

Overview of European deployment

 

Various countries in Europe are testing or deploying drones for surveys, asset maintenance, surveillance, etc. Table 1 summarises information about the deployment of drones on rail networks in European countries.

 

Table 1: Various uses of drone system on rail networks in Europe

Country	Authority/company in-charge	Purpose of deployment	Key supplier/player(s)
France	SNCF Réseau	Topographical surveys, network mapping, inspection work, surveillance,  maintenance	Altametris (a subsidiary of SNCF Réseau), ARCEP, CBIL, Delair Tech, DGAC, ONERA
Germany	Deutsche Bahn (DB)	Surveillance, inspection and assessment, construction planning	Microdrones (manufacturer)
Netherlands	ProRail	Checking of switch point heating systems on tracks, inspection of corrosion protection on steel structures	Arcadis
Norway	Bane NOR	Surveillance as well as lubrication of switches using self-propelled (autonomous) drones	Nordic Unmanned, Total Trafikkhjelp, IRIS Group Nordic
Spain	CAF Signalling	Geolocalisation of signalling systems on high- speed lines	SigmaRail, UC3M Intelligent Systems Laboratory
	Thales, Adif	Fault-detection tests on Madrid–Seville high-speed line for maintenance work	SigmaRail, UC3M Intelligent Systems Laboratory
UK	Department for Transport (DfT)	Test and trials for DfT’s Pathfinder Programme	SenSat
	Transport for London (TfL)	Asset surveys and maintenance on London Underground network	Lanes Rail
	Network Rail (NR)	Inspection works and maintenance	Aecom, Cyberhawk,  NR’s Air Operations team

Note: Adif: Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviaria; ARCEP: Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes; CNIL: Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés; DGAC: Direction générale de l'Aviation civile; ONERA: Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales

Source: Global Mass Transit Research

 

The various initiatives taken by the different authorities and companies in their respective countries are discussed further.

 

France

 

Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) has been using drones for its inspection, surveillance, and maintenance work since 2013. The authority has established a subsidiary, Altametris, which provides customised drone solutions with a focus on sensors, designs innovative solutions, and processes data. Table 2 provide details of the drones operated by Altametris.

 

Table 2: Key details of drones operated by Altametris

Parameter	Details
Weight	2–20 kg
Sensors	High-definition video/photo equipment, multispectral thermal cameras (infrared frequency band), and/or LiDAR (laser system that measures 3D environment)
Fleet	12 drones and robots

Source: SNCF

 

Altametris has established scientific and regulatory partnerships with various organisations and companies such as:

 

• ONERA, France’s aerospace research laboratory
• DGAC, France’s civil aviation authority
• Delair Tech, a start-up firm specialising in drone design and data analysis
• CNIL, French agency for personal data protection
• ARCEP, France’s telecommunications regulator

 

Further, Altametris is working with other France-based electricity operators as well as foreign operators (such as Swiss Railways).

 

Germany

 

Since 2015, the DB multicopter team has been operating drones nationwide for surveillance, construction planning, as well as checking trees on railway lines. The authority uses 12 types of multicopters (drones), which are differentiated on the basis of load capacity, flight duration, and operational readiness. Each drone is equipped with cameras, which can record videos as well as capture high-resolution digital images or infrared images.

 

Netherlands

 

ProRail used drones equipped with infrared sensors to check the switch point heating systems on its tracks. Using images provided by the drone, the authority checked whether the switch point heating systems are operating correctly.

 

Further, Arcadis used drones to inspect ProRail’s steel infrastructure. The company visually inspected the status of corrosion protection on the steel infrastructure, determined the condition of the protection, estimated the remaining lifecycle of the bridge’s coating, advised on actions to ensure maintenance, and assessed the advantages and disadvantages of manual inspection.

 

Norway

 

In December 2016, Bane NOR awarded six contracts for the provision of surveillance for six infrastructure areas under the jurisdiction of the National Rail Administration. Total Trafikkhjelp secured the contract for the north area, IRIS Group Nordic secured the contract for the west area, and Nordic Unmanned secured the contracts for the remaining four areas. These companies will provide high-quality video and still images, enable infrared and thermal photography, and conduct terrain model analysis.

 

In June 2018, Bane NOR announced plans to develop a system wherein a self-propelled (autonomous) drone will lubricate rail switches (track exchangers, where trains move from one track to another). The system will be programmed with a driving route using map coordinates. Bane NOR is the first authority in the world to adopt drone technology for railway maintenance.

 

Spain

 

Spain-based SigmaRail is providing drone-based solutions to CAF Signalling and Thales for asset management on high-speed rail lines in Spain. The company has developed drones in collaboration with UC3M Intelligent Systems Laboratory. Table 3 provides details of the drone used by SigmaRail on Spanish high-speed lines.

 

Table 3: Key details of SigmaRail’s drone

Parameter	Details
Camera	RGB or infrared cameras
Photograph	Each photograph is geo-localised using an on-board GPS
Distance covered	Around 6-km section in less than an hour
Data collected	2GB data in a 20-minute flight

Source: SigmaRail

 

CAF Signalling (CAF):

 

SigmaRail provided an automated drone solution to CAF for the installation of a signalling system, based on the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) standard, on the Alicante–Murcia high-speed line. The company had developed specific tools to put data taken from UAVs into a format that could be used by CAF to programme ERTMS equipment.

 

Thales and Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviaria (Adif):

 

The company deployed drones to conduct fault-detection tests. The process reduces the amount of time invested in track maintenance as well as the number of times that rail assets need to be checked.

 

United Kingdom

 

Various transport authorities in the country are exploring the deployment of drones systems from different suppliers in different rail segments.

 

Department for Transport (DfT):

 

The DfT launched the Pathfinder Programme in 2017, which focuses on a series of partnerships between government and industry in key sectors. Under the programme, SenSat (on behalf of DfT) is conducting tests and trials to learn how drones can be used to improve services across a range of sectors.

 

In June 2018, the company secured special permission to conduct trials at distances greater than 500 metres from the remote pilot or ‘beyond the visual line of sight’ (BVLOS).

 

Transport for London (TfL):

 

After a 12-month testing and approval process, TfL granted permission to Lanes Rail to carry asset surveys on the London Underground network using drones. It is the first contractor to secure a long-term licence for operating drones on TfL properties.

 

In May 2017, the company secured a five-year contract to provide maintenance work for the network. It is responsible for maintaining and repairing a wide range of assets, including track drainage lines, station buildings, bridges, power sites, and engineering works.

 

Network Rail (NR):

 

The NR has deployed drones systems for:

 

• Identifying problems with infrastructure and groundworks to prevent potential issues or problems
• Conducting surveillance of water-related risks such as water-ponding and saturation near rivers
• Conducting vegetation management and monitoring animal infestation
• Identifying and monitoring trespassing and suicide spots

 

The authority’s overall approach is intended to improve efficiency through the remote monitoring of assets and reduce the need for on-site inspections by field personnel. Table 4 provides details of the drones used by NR.

 

Table 4: Key details of drones used by NR

Parameter	Details
Weight	7 kg (maximum)
Range	Permitted to fly up to 500 metres away from pilot
Flight	Permitted to fly up to a height of 400 feet
Flight time before recharge	20 minutes
Crew	Minimum of two (one pilot in command and one observer/camera operator)*
Camera	High-definition 4K video imaging and high-resolution stills camera systems**
Features	Built-in geospatial environment online (GEO) fencing Built-in return to home (RTH) protocol Multiple motors and rotor blades

Note: *Some projects may require more crew, like spotters, engineers, aides, etc.;

**Camera quality varies from project to project

Source: NR

 

Regulation of drones across countries

 

Several countries have established laws and regulations for the operation of UAVs. The EASA has allowed each EU member state to make its own laws and regulations for drones/UAVs (with weight of 150 kg or less).

 

Table 5 summarises the regulations governing the operation of drones in various countries.

 

Table 5: Laws governing operation of drones across countries

Country	Law-regulating authority	Weight of drone	Maximum speed	Maximum altitude	Distance from pilot
Europe
France	French Civil Aviation Authority	≥25 kg	Not defined	150 metres (492 feet) above ground level or 50 metres (164 feet) above any artificial object more than 100 metres (328 feet) in height	VLOS and BVLOS operations within a certain regulatory framework, depending on weight of drone
Germany	German Federal Aviation Office (FAO)	≤5–25 kg: Commercial	Not defined	100 metres (328 feet); 50 metres (164 feet) in case of controlled airspace	VLOS operations
Spain	Agencia Española de Seguridad Aérea (AESA)	≥2 kg: Private <2–150 kg: Commercial	Not defined	120 metres above ground level	> 500 metres; > 15 km for approved BVLOS flights
UK	Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA)	≥ 20 kg: Private <20–150 kg: Commercial	Not defined	122 metres (400 feet) above ground level	VLOS operations; commercial BVLOS operations are not permitted
North America
Canada	Transport Canada	≥35 kg: Private <35 kg: Commercial	Not defined	90 metres (295 feet) above ground level	> 500 metres
US	Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)	≥25 kg (55 lbs): Commercial	161 km/hr (100 mi/hr)	122 metres (400 feet) above ground level or structure	VLOS operations
Asia Pacific
China	Civil Aviation Administration of China	≤0.25 kg	100 km/hr	122 metres (400 feet) above ground level	VLOS and BVLOS operations within a certain regulatory framework
Japan	Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transportation	<200 grams	Not defined	150 metres (492 feet) above ground level	VLOS operations
New Zealand	Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand	≥25 kg (55 lbs)	Not defined	122 metres (400 feet) above ground level	VLOS; BVLOS operations allowed after acquiring certificate
Africa
South Africa	South African Civil Aviation Authority	≥20 kg	Not defined	122 metres (400 feet) above ground level	VLOS; BVLOS operations allowed on special approval

Note: VLOS – Visual line of sight

Source: Global Mass Transit Research

 

Recent developments

 

• In December 2018, SenSat completed drone surveys on the 230-km-long High Speed 2 (HS2) route (from London to Birmingham). The company captured 18.2 billion data measurement points in three weeks.
• In November 2018, Infrabel deployed the first Belgian night flight with a civilian drone, which operated beyond BVLOS. As per the current legal framework, Infrabel is not allowed to perform aerial surveillance using mobile cameras. Infrabel obtained an exemption from the Directoraat-Generaal Luchtvaart (DGLV) to conduct the first night flight in Belgium. The authority plans to deploy this solution to combat the theft of rail cable.
• In August 2018, NR carried out the first drone survey on the south-western rail route. The drone was used to record a trespass hotspot and to send images of illegal activities to the British Transport Police.
• In July 2018, ProRail announced plans to use drones and 3D scans to map out trees along the Dutch railway network. The company will use the technology to identify trees that are at risk of falling over or losing branches, thereby being allowed to take preventive action before the trees cause delays on the tracks.
• In June 2018, the following developments were recorded:
  • Bane NOR announced plans to deploy drones for rail maintenance. The company will develop a system wherein self-propelled (autonomous) drones will lubricate rail switches.
  • SenSat completed the UK’s first BVLOS flight. Further, the company was granted special regulatory exemptions to fly up to 12 km away from the remote pilot.
• In May 2018, TfL granted permission to Lanes Rail to carry out asset surveys on the London Underground network using drones.

 

The way ahead

 

The predictions for the growth of the drone market indicate the great potential for the rail industry to capitalise on commercial opportunities in asset management. Infrastructure monitoring and accident investigation are the two key areas in which rail companies can benefit greatly from the deployment of drone technology.

 

In addition, the development of autonomous drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology provides significant opportunities for players to reduce cost, time, and risk.