SPAIN: Aviation safety body AESA has granted Ineco authorisation to use autonomous drones to inspect railway infrastructure.
Drones will be based at strategic locations, housed in containers which can be remotely opened. The drone will be flown to inspect infrastructure, and then return to its container. It can also fly to standalone battery recharging locations.
The entire system has been developed with equipment designed and produced by HelixNorth.
It is to be used by rail infrastructure managers ADIF and ADIF Alta Velocidad, which hope to reduce maintenance costs and improve thoroughness of inspections at a time of increasing labour shortages in Spain.
The first trial flights will be made from the Villarubia de Santiago maintenance base near Toledo on the Madrid to Andalucía high speed line.
