Authorities in Urumqi have swiftly handled a case involving a lightweight civil unmanned aircraft illegally flying over railway lines, imposing administrative penalties on the drone operator in accordance with the law and promptly eliminating a safety hazard to railway transportation.

At 17:30 on September 27, officers from the Urumqi Station Police Station discovered a lightweight unmanned aircraft flying over railway lines within their jurisdiction and immediately dispatched personnel to the operator's location to conduct an investigation.

Investigation confirmed that the offender, surnamed Ma, was operating the drone from within his own residential community purely for personal entertainment. Although the drone had completed real-name registration on the Civil Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Management Platform (UOM platform), Ma had not filed the required declaration and registration with air traffic control authorities or the local public security organ for this flight. The flight also crossed railway airspace, constituting an unapproved flight activity within controlled airspace.

According to the investigating officers, areas along railway lines are designated as key controlled airspace, and any flight operations must legally complete the required filing and approval procedures. Ma's unapproved operation of a lightweight civil unmanned aircraft in controlled airspace violated relevant provisions of the Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights.

Given that Ma actively cooperated with the investigation, the flight did not interfere with normal train operations, no actual harm was caused, and the violation was relatively minor, the Urumqi Station Police Station imposed an administrative fine on Ma in accordance with the Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights and the Railway Safety Management Regulations.

Police remind the public that railway lines are important transportation arteries. The overhead contact system of electrified railways carries high-voltage power supply facilities, and the areas along railway lines are designated as key controlled airspace. If a drone loses control and crashes, it can easily cause short circuits in the contact network or trigger emergency train stops, seriously threatening railway operational safety.

Drone enthusiasts should carefully study low-altitude flight laws and regulations, complete real-name registration before flying, and strictly implement airspace declaration and flight filing requirements. They must not casually fly drones in key areas such as railway lines and the vicinity of stations. Anyone who discovers clues about illegal drone flights should promptly call 110 to report them.