Railway corridors are not free-flight zones for drones, and a seemingly ordinary "casual takeoff" can very likely threaten railway operational safety and cross legal red lines.

Why railway corridors are "restricted zones" for drones

01 Endangering operational safety The voltage of railway overhead contact lines reaches as high as 27,500 volts, and the strong electromagnetic environment along the line can easily interfere with drone control signals, causing the equipment to lose control and crash. If a drone loses control, drops objects, or collides with a train or contact line during flight, it can very easily cause a serious operational accident with unimaginable consequences.

02 Interfering with railway signals Railway operations rely on a high-precision signal command system. Drone radio communications may produce electromagnetic interference with railway communication and signal systems, causing signal abnormalities and endangering the safety of train operation control.

03 Crossing legal red lines According to Article 53 of the Railway Safety Management Regulations, within 500 meters on both sides of railway power line conductors, flying kites, balloons, and other low-altitude floating objects is prohibited. Drones also belong to low-altitude aircraft controlled in this area and may not be flown within this range without permission. Article 51 of the Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aircraft provides that those who, without approval, operate micro, light, or small civil unmanned aircraft in controlled airspace, or operate model aircraft outside airspace designated by the air traffic management agency, shall be ordered by the public security organ to stop flying and may be fined up to 500 yuan; if the circumstances are serious, the unmanned aircraft used in the illegal flight shall be confiscated, and a fine of more than 1,000 yuan and less than 10,000 yuan shall also be imposed. According to relevant provisions of the Public Security Administration Punishments Law of the People's Republic of China, those who violate airspace management regulations by flying drones, aviation sports equipment, and other airborne objects may, if the circumstances are relatively serious, be detained for not less than five days and not more than ten days. If a drone strikes a train or scrapes a contact line, causing power supply interruption, personal injury, or major property loss, it will violate Articles 114, 115, and 119 of the Criminal Law, and may be suspected of the crimes of endangering public safety by dangerous means, negligently endangering public safety by dangerous means, destroying vehicles, destroying transportation facilities, negligently destroying vehicles, and negligently destroying transportation facilities, and criminal responsibility shall be pursued according to law.

Keep these points in mind for compliant flight

01 Recreational aerial photography flights When conducting recreational drone flights, be sure to stay away from railway tracks, stations, railway substations, high-voltage contact lines, and other railway infrastructure, and never take off within railway-controlled airspace.

02 Industry operation flights If flight operations around railways are truly necessary for inspection, surveying, mapping, reconnaissance, plant protection, and other work, approval permission from the air traffic control department must first be obtained; after receiving flight approval, report in advance to the competent railway unit and the local public security organ and implement all safety guarantee measures.

03 Strictly observe airspace red linesResolutely eliminate all kinds of risky test flights, prohibit low-altitude probing of airspace near railway lines, and strictly forbid operating drones to fly across the airspace above railway lines.

04 Standardize flight times Try to choose daylight hours with sufficient light for flight activities, do not carry out blind nighttime flights or beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, and avoid safety risks caused by limited visibility.

05 Make flight plans properly Before takeoff, comprehensively check the drone equipment status and assess the flight site environment in advance. Once the flight area is found to be near railway facilities, the flight should be terminated immediately and a safe landing should be made.

The Drone Prevention and Safety Management Work Team of the Panjin Public Security Bureau.