For the first time, the Indian Railways has used drones for inspecting a mega rail project to assess the on ground progress. Further, drones would also be used to monitor other under-construction schemes. The unmanned aerial vehicle was used to inspect the ongoing work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) project. The plan is to monitor all ongoing projects through aerial survey. Additionally, Indian Railways has also decided to use drones to analyse the ground situation in the aftermath of train accidents. ‘We used a drone to ascertain the progress on the 42 km long track between Baghega to Srimadhopur in Rajasthan in the Western DFC and also the 56 km long line between Durgawati and Sasaram in Bihar,’ DFC Managing Director Adesh Sharma said. The drone was used for three days on a trial basis to cover the total 98 km on the DFC. The status report was prepared after the analysis of video recordings. ‘It becomes easier and faster to prepare the status report of an ongoing project through drone. Field work can be monitored from the office using the drone footage,’ said Mr Sharma. The drone was hired from a private operator and it cost Rs. 3,000 per km for undertaking the aerial survey. Currently about 170 projects, including doubling and laying of new lines, are being executed by railways. Drones will now be used to assess actual physical progress of these projects, sources said.