You may one day see drones flying over railroad tracks across South Florida: Tri-Rail plans to adopt this technology to spot trespassers and prevent suicides as well as accidents on the railway.
The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates the Tri-Rail commuter train, recently purchased the drones and hopes to start using them within the year, according to Allen Yoder, director of safety and security for the Pompano Beach-based commuter train.
People trespassing on tracks, trying to cross them unsafely in a car or by foot, or attempting to end their life are ongoing issues for Tri-Rail, as well as the new higher-speed train Brightline, Amtrak and other trains that operate on South Florida’s coastal and western train tracks.
A new way some train systems are addressing the issue is with drones or high-definition cameras, according to the Association of American Railroads in Washington, D.C.