INFRASTRUCTURE
Getting a bird’s eye view
Phil Marsh meets Network Rail’s Air Operations team, which provides a unique view of the network from above using helicopters and drones.
DESPITE flying since 2007, many readers may be unaware of Network Rail’s Air Operations team or its purpose – unless, perhaps, you’re following them on their Twitter page @nrairops.
The 10-strong team uses two helicopters and 300 drones, and since operations began has created a reference library of 1.5 million images stored on an online system called RouteView, which is used by Network Rail, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, and principal contractors.
RouteView has a number of functions, including comparing historic and current images to monitor land movement, examining land use and looking for weather-related changes. It is also used to pinpoint incident locations to enable better responses by ground staff and emergency services.
“We have the best office on the railway,” says National Aerial Survey Specialist Chris Ashworth, whose job it is to direct the two helicopters – one mainly dedicated to Scotland’s Railway, the other deemed National and both flown by PDG aviation services. “Our job is all about ‘predict and prevent’ across the country, so our aim is to catch things early before they fail, thus keeping the network running safely and smoothly.”