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Caption: An afternoon lull after some morning VIA and CN traffic at Snider yields some action on the Barrie GO line. Here, GO Transit MP40PH-3C 628 brings up the rear of afternoon train #6915, heading north on the Newmarket Sub over the York Sub flyover at Snider. It's been a number of years since the nearby neighbourhoods in suburban Thornhill and Concord have had to hear the regular clatter of trains across the interlocking diamonds that were once at this location for decades. In a few minutes, southbound GO train #6916 coming down from Rutherford GO station will put in an appearance.
Note: photo taken while above adjacent property and zoomed in, complying with all Transport Canada drone regulations for appropriate RPAS micro drone weight class.
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Great shot. Sad we live in a world where you feel you need to add the footnote.
Thanks Dave. There was a Metrolinx post few years back saying that flying a drone around or over any GO Transit tracks was illegal, mentioning “illegally fly[ing] them over train tracks” and the “area above GO tracks is restricted airspace”.
Both of these statements appear to be false, as there are no specific no-fly zones for rail corridors, GO tracks, etc nor restricted airspace zones around train tracks as per Transport Canada/Nav Canada and their drone map (https://nrc.canada.ca/en/drone-tool/). I’ve yet to find any written rules prohibiting flying over railway tracks/lines in Canada either.
What there are, are restricted airspace zones (for certain drone classes) covering most of Toronto due to Pearson Airport that prohibit basic- and advanced-class drone operation, that also happen to go over GO’s lines in Toronto. Some Metrolinx employee probably took a look at all the red circles on that map and concluded it was illegal to fly drones anywhere over GO tracks.
The exception however, is if you fly a micro-drone (under 250g weight), all those prohibited restricted zones don’t apply (changing the drone class on the map, they just become cautionary warning zones, where you can fly a micro drone but need to take caution due to any potential low-flying air traffic).
I suspect their entire statement is complete and utter nonsense, and would not hold up in court. Metrolinx have enough trouble just building things on their own to dictate what the general public can and cannot do.