CSX exploring use of drones for track maintenance

Meanwhile, a Federal Aviation Administration task force released its recommendations regarding a registration program for unmanned aircraft systems that will affect the use of drones in both commercial and recreational settings.    CSX Corp. is exploring the use of drones for track maintenance and emergency situations, Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward said at the RailTrends 2015 conference held last week in midtown Manhattan.
   Ward was accepting an award for the railroad innovator of the year when he mentioned that the Jacksonville, Fla.-based Class I railroad and its competitors have begun researching and testing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for track and bridge inspection and in the event of a derailment.
   Drones can cover much greater distances than a person in a truck or railcar and feed visual information back to the operator, who can determine if further inspection is required.
   “Right now our primary focus is on bridge inspections,” he added when asked about CSX’s use of drones. “As you know, a drone will actually get you underneath a bridge and get you very close, to see whether you need a human to come and take a closer look at it.”
   Unlike in the trucking industry, where road and bridge infrastructure are maintained using tax dollars, railways own and operate their own track and are responsible for the upkeep and safety of those assets.
   “And the other place we’ve been exploring it – although our safety record has greatly improved as an industry – is in derailments. Especially if there is one where there happens to be a chemical aspect to it, you can get a drone in there faster than you can get humans in there to see what you’re dealing with.”
   Ward said he believes there may be more uses for drones in the railroad industry going forward as well, but did not elaborate on what those might be.
   Officials at the Florida East Coast Railway have also publicly said they are pursuing a drone program for inspection purposes.
   Meanwhile, a Federal Aviation Administration task force earlier this week released its recommendations regarding a registration program for unmanned aircraft systems that will affect the use of drones in both commercial and recreational settings.
   The likely outcome of the recommendations is that all drone users within the United States will have to register with the federal government in order to continue flying the UASs legally. Similar to a driver’s license for a car or even gun registration, the idea is that having people on record as drone users will reduce the chance they might use those drones for illegal purposes and for identification of a drone operator in the event of a crash or other incident.
   Under the recommended plan, which the task force was quick to point out is not binding, all drones weighing a more 250 grams (about half a pound) would be subject to registration. People would receive an ID number after registering that is required to be affixed to all drones they fly in a place where it is easily visible.
   Some registration rules already exist with respect to commercial applications of drone use and the recent task force recommendations are intended to extend to recreational users as well. The FAA publicized its initial rules for commercial drone usage back in February.
   The FAA task force was composed of a variety of stakeholders, including drone makers, trade groups representing law enforcement, pilots and other aviation experts, as well as high-profile companies like Google, Amazon, Wal-Mart and Best Buy, all of which have been lobbying for expanded drone usage for delivery applications.