With the drone pilots of Railway Security
Drones piloted by Railway Security employees have become an essential tool for monitoring tracks, bridges and rolling stock—keeping the network safe from above.
Invaluable assistance
Our 3,500 Railway Security agents are supported from the skies by nearly 200 drones. Equipped with infra-red cameras, these drones play an increasingly vital role in monitoring infrastructure and detecting intrusions by suspicious or malicious counterparts. Our drones excel in hard-to-reach areas and can inspect certain structures up to 30% faster than traditional methods. Mostly importantly, they operate without disrupting rail traffic.
The drones keeping watch over the rail network
SNCF’s fleet of
200
drones
Carries out around
2,000
flights each year
Including
200
missions to combat intrusions and malicious acts
Whatever the incident, our primary aim is deterrence
Deputy Managing Director, Customers and Operations at SNCF Réseau
45 remote pilots trained
SNCF has trained 45 Railway Security drone pilots to meet the standards of France’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation (Direction Générale de l'Aviation Civile), the agency responsible for air traffic safety. If an unidentified object appears in the airspace above SNCF properties, they immediately alert the National Security Command and Control Centre (PCNS – Poste de Commandement National de Sureté).
When we spot a suspicious drone, we immediately assess the danger, alert teams on the ground and—if necessary—work with the proper authorities to neutralize the threat.
SNCF Railway Security National Expert on Drone Security and Drone Deterrence
Altametris, SNCF Réseau’s drone experts
France has one of Europe’s most extensive rail networks, with 28,000 km of tracks. To keep it safe and secure, in 2017 SNCF Réseau created Altametris, charged with collecting data in the field using drones. It carries out that mission—making conditions safer and more efficient—without interrupting rail operations.
To catch problems and shut down potential disruptions before they happen, Altametris trains its agents to use innovative inspection tools. These let agents investigate alerts without disrupting traffic, exposing themselves to risk of electrocution, or calling in costly equipment like elevated work platforms.
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