Flint Railway Station Track & Infrastructure Survey

The solution

A comprehensive survey control network was installed throughout the project area, established by total station traverse and levelled with a digital level, with detailed topographic and track surveys undertaken using high-accuracy one-second total stations. To capture the wider corridor efficiently, the team deployed a DJI Matrice 300 RTK drone with a Zenmuse L2 LiDAR payload, flying during weekend railway possessions to map the track, terrain, vegetation and associated infrastructure while minimising exposure to operational railway risks.

Heavy tree cover restricted aerial capture in parts of the corridor, so these areas were supplemented with targeted total station observations. When the available possession time was reduced during the second weekend, the programme was adapted and critical areas of data capture prioritised — maintaining safe working practices while continuing to progress the works.

The outcome

The terrestrial and airborne datasets were processed and combined into a detailed LiDAR point cloud and a comprehensive CAD drawing of the areas required by the client. Despite the operational constraints, all required infrastructure was successfully mapped and the outputs delivered within the agreed programme — providing reliable survey information for drainage assessment and rehabilitation design, high-quality digital outputs that can be revisited throughout design and planning, and improved design certainty across a large and complex infrastructure site.