Case study: Partnership between Railscape & Essex
Leaves on the line and fallen trees cause train delays, customer dissatisfaction and cost rail companies millions, while maintenance creates unsafe working conditions for trackside crews.
A Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with a vegetation management company is changing that through artificial intelligence (AI) powered drone technology that has received national recognition.
Modernising in a shifting industry
Known for its expertise in arboriculture, vegetation management and environmental services, Railscape Ltd faced a critical challenge: how to modernise in a sector grappling with inflation, industrial action and shifting commercial priorities.
Predicting where and when vegetation might cause problems on railway lines has long been a headache for the rail industry. It was the obvious starting point for Railscape Ltd’s innovation agenda.
Solving a unique railway challenge
Managing Director Michael Hayes and Company Director James Brennan wanted to harness the latest technology to safely identify the six million trees growing on Network Rail land and seven million on private land but within striking distance of tracks.
The challenge was to keep Britain’s 20,000 miles of track safe from vegetation and trains running on time.
A groundbreaking solution
In partnership with Dr Adrian Clark, Dr John Woods and Dr Xiaojun Zhai from Essex’s School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, and Professor Tracey Lawson from the School of Life Sciences, DroneArb was developed.
The groundbreaking digital surveying system combines AI, drone imaging and remote sensing to monitor trees and undergrowth from the skies with pinpoint accuracy.
Transforming safety
To date, DroneArb has surveyed 2,440 track miles, identified 89,245 potential risks and saved over 39,000 hours of traditional on-foot surveying.
It is saving the rail industry money, making working conditions safer, and has enabled Network Rail to move from a ‘scorched earth’ clearance approach to targeted felling.
For Railscape Ltd it has been transformative: operational efficiency has soared, the company has secured more contracts, profitability is up and staff have been upskilled fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
With success came recognition when the KTP was shortlisted for a national Times Higher Education Award. There’s now international interest in DroneArb reflecting the global challenge of vegetation management and highlighting its potential to work across networks and environments.
![James Brennan]()
"It's not only provided us function to develop homegrown innovation, but also being able to secure future revenue and future business for the company. The benefits that the KTP offers is access to a skill set that we wouldn't otherwise have in the business."
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Essex has secured more Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership funding than any other university in the UK. Through this programme, you could receive funding covering up to 67% of your project costs. We will guide you through the entire process, drawing on a sector-leading track record of success. Each project is commercially focused and powered by the university’s world-class research expertise.
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