Western Railway’s (WR) Rajkot Division on Saturday, said it had successfully conducted a trial of a drone-based live-line OHE monitoring and surveillance system in the 31-km-long Hapa–Kanalus section to improve. Overhead Equipment (OHE) system supplies electricity required to power electric locomotives and electric train sets such as Vande Bharat, Namo Bharat and MEMUs.
A comprehensive inspection of the 31-km-long OHE section was carried out without taking a power or traffic block using the drone system, thereby causing no disruption to train operations. The drone is equipped with a high-resolution optical camera capable of accurately detecting loose contacts, alignment deviations, missing split pins and other potential technical abnormalities in the 25 kV AC traction system.
The drone has an operational flying range of approximately 10 kilometres and a flight endurance of around 50 minutes. The use of live-line high-definition visual monitoring technology in the Hapa–Kanalus section enables the TRD Department to identify minor defects and structural deviations at an early stage, which may be difficult to detect during routine manual inspections.
The drone-based monitoring system will enable timely detection of potential defects and abnormalities in various OHE components. This will facilitate prompt attention to maintenance requirements, help prevent OHE failure incidents, and improve the reliability and punctuality of train operations.