This branch of engineering developed through the efforts of engineers and railroad companies to make railway systems safer, more reliable, more powerful, and more cost efficient. Railway engineering has evolved into a diverse profession, requiring talents in a number of
Historically, railway engineering was strictly a mechanical engineering discipline, encompassing pressure vessel design, purely mechanical vehicle components, and hand-powered switches. However, railway engineering has become more reliant on electronic systems, specifically control and communications. As an example of this interdependence, the Rail Transportation Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) hold a joint conference each year to discuss advances in railroad-related research, development, and testing.
Railway Engineering Disciplines
Railway engineering contains many sub-disciplines, including:
- Vehicles – This division includes the design, construction, and testing of railroad vehicles, including locomotives and rolling stock. Activities may include aerodynamic design and testing for high-speed locomotives, vehicle suspension design to improve rider comfort in passenger vehicles, or
- Traction Systems – This includes the design, development, and testing of electric, diesel, or hybrid locomotive traction systems.
- Track – Track engineering can include developing rail maintenance procedures, designing track bed foundations, and specifying rail components such as switches.
- Wheel/Rail Interaction – Wheel/rail interaction is concerned with the forces between the stationary rail and passing wheels. This can include wheel/rail profile optimization, analysis of hunting behavior, and development of wheel and rail force monitoring systems.
- Infrastructure – Infrastructure includes the design, fabrication, and maintenance of bridges, tunnels, grade crossings, and rights-of-way.
- Signaling and Communication – This division of railway engineering is concerned with the electrical and voice signals needed to control a railway system. This can include dispatch protocols, signaling logic, and communication infrastructure, both on board vehicles and in wayside systems.
Professional Societies for Railway Engineers
There are several professional societies who cater to engineers in the railroad industry. Both ASME and IEEE provide support to the railway engineering discipline as a whole, but other societies exist to support specific areas within the profession. The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA) focuses on track-related issues. The American Public Transit Association (APTA) is concerned with passenger rail systems. There are also many smaller regional and union organizations with an eye on railway engineering issues.
Railroad systems are complex, and require a wide variety of engineers to create safe and efficient systems. Rail systems are among the safest and most cost-efficient methods to move people and goods, and it takes a variety of engineers to keep the trains moving.
