Railways deploys drones to curb stone pelting, theft and boost passenger safety

Drones, also called unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, are aircraft operated without a person onboard. For railway security, they carry cameras and fly over tracks, stations, yards, bridges and other infrastructure. They send live video to security personnel. This matters because railway networks cover large and sometimes isolated areas that are difficult to watch continuously from the ground.

The Railway Protection Force uses drones to monitor vulnerable locations and identify suspicious activities. Night-vision and thermal cameras support work in darkness and difficult terrain. Drones can help detect trespassing, theft, encroachment, cable theft, fire risks, sabotage and stone pelting. Audio warnings can also discourage unauthorised track crossing.

East Coast Railway calls its system DROAWK EYE, meaning Observation, Detection, Prevention. Its drones also support crowd management, passenger safety, investigations and disaster response. A single team can monitor around 8 to 10 kilometres, helping security staff cover wider areas and use resources more efficiently.

East Coast Railway currently operates 11 drones across its Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Rayagada divisions. Together, they cover 284 railway stations, 2,708 route kilometres and 6,072 track kilometres. The scale shows how aerial surveillance can support security across a wide railway network rather than only one station or track section.

The drones completed 3,033 sorties from January 1 to September 15, 2026. Sambalpur recorded 1,329 sorties, Rayagada recorded 1,024, and Khurda Road recorded 680. Of the total, 1,265 were RED-coded sorties for critical security work, such as preventing sabotage and stone pelting, detecting cable theft and monitoring fire risks.

The operation is supported by 160 DGCA-certified drone pilots. ECoR plans to double the fleet from 11 to 22 drones by March 2027. The expansion is intended to strengthen railway security and passenger safety through wider technology-based monitoring.

Railway security teams use drones to watch for actions that can endanger passengers, trains and infrastructure. The article specifically mentions sabotage, stone pelting, cable theft and fire risks. Drones also help detect trespassing, theft, encroachment and suspicious activities around stations, tracks, yards and vital installations.

Their key advantage is immediate aerial observation. Live video lets personnel inspect vulnerable sections and follow developing incidents from above. Night-vision and thermal cameras extend this monitoring into dark areas and difficult terrain. Audio warnings can discourage unauthorised track crossing and stone pelting. RED-coded sorties are reserved for critical security activities, including preventing sabotage and monitoring fire risks.

From January 1 to September 15, 2026, ECoR recorded 1,265 RED-coded sorties within 3,033 total sorties. The system supports prevention as well as detection. It also assists investigations and disaster response when an incident has already occurred.

Night-vision cameras allow drones to observe railway locations when ordinary daylight visibility is unavailable. Thermal cameras detect differences in heat, helping reveal people, equipment or possible fire-related hotspots even when visual conditions are poor. These capabilities matter because railway infrastructure often passes through dark, remote or obstructed areas.

The article identifies forests, hilly terrain, tunnels, bridges and isolated railway stretches as important uses. It also names coaching yards, railway stations and vital installations. On sections such as the Koraput-Rayagada-Kirandul line, these cameras give security personnel aerial views that can support monitoring, threat detection and investigations.

The cameras do not replace security staff. They provide live visual information so personnel can identify suspicious activity, monitor vulnerable assets and respond to possible threats. Thermal imaging is also useful for monitoring fire risks, one of the activities included in ECoR’s RED-coded sorties.

Live aerial surveillance helps security personnel see crowds, tracks, stations and vulnerable railway assets from above. This broader view can support passenger safety by revealing unsafe movement, congestion or suspicious activity. Audio warnings add a direct deterrent. They can discourage unauthorised track crossing and stone pelting before those actions cause harm.

The article gives a specific example from Rath Yatra 2026 in Puri, where drone surveillance played an important role in crowd management. The system also supports women’s safety under the Meri Saheli initiative. Live feeds can help staff monitor changing situations, while drone imagery can support investigations and disaster response after an incident.

ECoR says one drone team can monitor around 8 to 10 kilometres. That reach allows security personnel to cover larger areas and deploy resources more efficiently. The planned increase from 11 to 22 drones could extend this support across more railway locations.

Difficult railway sections can be hard to monitor because they pass through forests, hilly terrain, tunnels, bridges and isolated stretches. Ground teams may need to cover long distances and may not have a clear view around bends, slopes or structures. A drone can rise above these obstacles and send a live view to security personnel.

East Coast Railway specifically identifies sections of the Koraput-Rayagada-Kirandul line as suitable for this technology. Night-vision and thermal cameras make the drones useful beyond daylight and in places where visibility is limited. They can monitor tracks, bridges, yards, stations and vital installations while looking for suspicious activity, trespassing, theft, encroachment or fire risks.

The coverage is also practical. ECoR says one drone team can monitor around 8 to 10 kilometres. This helps staff watch wider areas and direct resources more efficiently. ECoR plans to expand its fleet from 11 drones to 22 by March 2027.

Railway security teams commonly combine ground patrols, station personnel, control-room monitoring and fixed surveillance cameras. The source does not provide a formal comparison or list of alternatives, so these methods should be viewed as complementary rather than replacements. Ground staff remain important for direct intervention and local knowledge.

Drones offer a different kind of coverage. They move over tracks, yards, bridges and isolated stretches, sending live video from above. Their night-vision and thermal cameras support monitoring in darkness, forests, tunnels and hilly terrain. Audio warnings add a direct way to discourage unauthorised track crossing and stone pelting. A drone team can monitor around 8 to 10 kilometres.

This mobility helps personnel inspect wider areas and deploy resources more efficiently. ECoR’s current operation uses 11 drones, while its planned fleet of 22 by March 2027 should expand aerial coverage. The article presents drones as an added technology for security, safety, investigations and disaster response.