SOLUTION / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
Nordic Unmanned’s Railway Drone prevents costly passenger and freight delays
- Published October 25, 2022; updated September 30, 2026; estimated reading time 3 minutes. Status: available in Europe; the quick-information panel says commercial launch plans were underway. Categories: Hydrogen / Use; Energy; Transportation.
- Nordic Unmanned’s Staaker BG-300 Railway Drone is a combined unmanned aerial and ground vehicle for rail inspection and maintenance. It travels on tracks to lubricate switches and inspect track components and surroundings while cameras and sensors send live data to decision-makers. When a train approaches, it autonomously flies to the side, then can return to the track; it can also change tracks or direction during a mission.
- The page says the drone can run about seven hours at an average speed of 20 km/h and cover over 200 km of railway per mission using hydrogen fuel cells. Battery-powered and hydrogen versions are offered; hydrogen is described as the zero-emission choice.
- The article says rail maintenance is dangerous, often done at night or during service gaps, and can disrupt passenger and freight traffic because many trains operate around the clock. It also says operators lack consistent data on track condition. The drone is intended to keep workers off tracks, allow maintenance during traffic hours, provide data for human decision-making and prevent costly line closures and delays.
- The page cites a global railway-maintenance machinery market of USD 3.73 billion in 2019, forecast at USD 5.52 billion by 2027. Target customers include rail owners, manufacturers and maintenance providers. Nordic Unmanned planned global expansion while adapting the product to differing railway systems. SDGs 8, 9 and 11 shown.
- Contact: Dr José Luis Gil Yepes, Vice President of Infrastructure, jlg@nordicunmanned.com; phone reveal control collapsed. Company: NORDIC UNMANNED ASA, Havnespeilet, 3rd floor, Rådhusgata 3, 4306 Sandnes, Norway; nordicunmanned.com/.