Helicopter camera to detect frozen rail points

network for potential flashpoints in severe winter weather, Daily Record reports.

Network Rail said thermal images taken from the air will identify areas where points heaters are not functioning properly.

According to The Scotsman, the aircraft is among some £1.2 million worth of measures announced yesterday by Network Rail to combat snow and ice, which wreaked havoc on the network over the past two winters.

The firm, which runs tracks and signals, will also deploy insulation used by Nasa in spacesuits to prevent sets of points at junctions from freezing.

“We are working closely with our industry partners and the government to make sure we deliver as robust a service as possible this winter,” Rail.co quotes David Simpson, Network Rail route MD for Scotland, as saying.

“We are also introducing a wide range of new equipment and working methods after reviewing how the severe, prolonged snowfalls of last year affected the railway. We are confident that the Scottish rail network will be as well prepared as possible for another severe winter.”