EYES IN THE SKY: EAST COAST RAILWAY TO DOUBLE DRONE FLEET TO 22 AS SECURITY SURVEILLANCE EXPANDS

October 13, 2026

East Coast Railway (ECoR) plans to double its drone surveillance fleet from 11 to 22 by March 2027, strengthening efforts to protect railway infrastructure, improve passenger safety and detect suspicious activities across its network.

The initiative, named “DROAWK EYE – Observation, Detection, Prevention,” supports the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in monitoring vulnerable locations and preventing offences. The existing fleet comprises four drones in Khurda Road division, six in Sambalpur and one in Rayagada, supported by 160 pilots certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

The surveillance network covers 284 stations, 2,708 route kilometres and 6,072 track kilometres across 31 RPF posts. Between January 1 and September 15, 2026, the RPF conducted 3,033 drone sorties. Of these, 1,265 were classified as RED-coded sorties focused on critical security activities, including preventing sabotage and stone-pelting incidents, detecting cable theft and monitoring fire safety.

Equipped with night-vision and thermal-imaging cameras, the drones are particularly useful for surveillance in forests, hilly terrain, tunnels, bridges and isolated railway stretches. They also help monitor stations, coaching yards and vital installations, identify trespassing, theft and encroachment, and support investigations and disaster response.

Drone surveillance has also assisted crowd management during Puri’s Rath Yatra and supports women’s safety under the Meri Saheli initiative. Live monitoring and audio warnings can help discourage unauthorised track crossing and stone-pelting incidents.

According to the railway, a single drone team can effectively monitor approximately 8–10 kilometres. The planned expansion to 22 drones is expected to widen surveillance coverage and strengthen technology-driven railway security across the East Coast Railway network.