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7/17/2026
The Metra Police Department has deployed remotely operated drones to monitor the rail lines and facilities of the Chicago-area commuter railroad, Metra officials announced yesterday. The initiative is intended to increase safety and decrease response time to critical incidents.
“When an incident occurs along the railroad, our response times can be hampered by street traffic and distance,” said Metra Executive Director and CEO Jim Derwinsky. “These drones ... allow us to quickly get eyes on the scene and accurately assess the situation so law enforcement, employees and partner agencies can respond safely.”
The drones will also assist with infrastructure inspections, emergency response training and storm damage assessments, Metra officials said. The department has previously used tethered and piloted drones that required on-site operation for incident response and crowd monitoring.
The three "Beyond Visual Line of Sight" drones are equipped with high-definition video, 3-D rendering and infrared capabilities with a flight range of about 3 miles. They are stationed at the 18th Street Yard and Western Avenue Coach Yard facilities, and are operated by Metra police officers who are licensed drone pilots.
The project is funded through a $620,000 grant from FEMA's Transit Security Grant Program.