Meet Eric, a robotic dog helping us inspect some of our harder-to-access parts of the railway. Thanks to Eric, we’re better able to maintain or repair these parts of our railway for less disruption to your journeys.
Below the surface
Our railway is made up of parts above and below the ground. Culverts under the track help manage the drainage of water from the tracks.
The water is moved through giant brick or concrete tunnels, about 50 to 60 metres long and 400mm to 1,200mm wide. Many of our culverts are more than 150 years old but still as vital to the safe running of the railway – particularly during heavy rain.
We must ensure they’re in good working condition so we can run trains safely and reliably on the track above them. But inspecting them every year can be difficult because they’re often in tight, confined spaces that are hard to reach.
We usually have to close the tracks above culverts to allow our staff to safely carry out inspections. The information our teams gather can also be limited because of the difficulty in reaching these areas – making it harder to maintain and repair them.
A smart solution
That’s why we’ve teamed up with robotic company Unitrees since 2024 to use Eric – a robotic dog – for these inspections. Eric’s nimble and small body is able to reach deep inside some of these underground structures far more quickly than our staff. The cameras and lights covering him capture high quality video and image recordings of the inside of these structures.
Eric completed his first inspection of a culvert underneath the railway in Essex on Friday 7 February in a railway first. It was a big success, meaning we’ll keep trialling Eric on other inspections.
Less disruption
It’s difficult to overestimate the data Eric collects on his inspections. It’s more detailed and comprehensive than we’ve ever had and helps us understand the condition of these structures in far greater detail. It means we can maintain and repair the culverts far earlier – before they affect your journeys.
Eric can also help us minimise disruption to your journeys by removing the need for line closures when carrying out the inspections. Our staff no longer need to enter the structure, helping us save time, keep the line open and our staff safe.
Christopher Jackson, a project manager at Network Rail, said: “Eric helps provide vital data to allow engineers to assess risk far greater than ever before in those hard-to-reach areas. I see Eric playing a vital role in helping keep our railway safe and reliable, to keep our passengers and freight customers moving.”
