Glasgow’s railways are getting eyes in the sky, with British Transport Police and Network Rail deploying new drones around Glasgow Central to cut disruption and respond faster when incidents hit the city’s tracks.
The drones are designed to improve response times, passenger safety, and disruption management across Scotland’s rail network by providing real-time aerial support for live incidents and rail operations.
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"In an area that faces significant disruption, the drones will help us focus on disruption hotspots, providing early situational awareness to support officers on the ground and informing decision-making at live incidents including trespass, concerns for welfare, cable thefts and more.
"Having seen the positive impact of our drones programme in other areas we’re confident that we’ll see a positive impact from deployments in Scotland."
Thirty-three flights have targeted live incidents and high-risk locations, one of which resulted in three people found trackside.
Drone-mounted speakers were used to ask those involved to leave the area, which they did, and they were subsequently spoken to by officers.
Many flights have helped confirm that tracks are clear, enabling rapid reopening and minimising service delays.
Network Rail has stationed a beyond visual line of sight drone near Glasgow Central that can be deployed and flown remotely from the control room.
Leigh Gribbon, route performance improvement manager at Network Rail Scotland, said the drone will improve response times and help manage incidents as they happen.
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She said: "Glasgow Central is one of the most vital transport hubs in Scotland, connecting thousands of passengers every day and playing a key role in keeping people moving.
"As recent incidents in the surrounding area have shown, the ability to respond quickly and effectively is absolutely critical.
"By introducing a remotely operated drone here, we’re giving our teams faster access to real-time information, improving safety, and helping us assess situations.
"Whether it’s supporting incident response, monitoring infrastructure, or working alongside the emergency services, this technology will help us keep the railway running safely and resiliently."
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