Railway engineering
Railway engineering is a multi-faceted engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and operation of all types of railway systems. It encompasses a wide range of engineering disciplines, including civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering and production engineering. A great many other engineering sub-disciplines are also called upon.
History
With the advent of the railways in the early nineteenth century, a need arose for a specialized group of engineers capable of dealing with the unique problems associated with Railway engineering. As the railways expanded and became a major economic force, a great many engineers became involved in the field, probably the most notable in Britain being Richard Trevithick, George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Today, railway systems engineering continues to be a vibrant field of engineering, with many major projects such as the Channel Tunnel in progress.
Subfields
- Mechanical engineering
- Command, control & railway signalling
- Electrical engineering
- Civil engineering
- Light rail systems
- On-track plant
- Rail systems integration
- Train control systems
- Railway vehicle engineering
- Rolling resistance
- Wheel–rail interface
- Railway systems engineering
- Systems integration
Professional organizations
In the UK: The Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
In the US The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA)
Worldwide The Institute of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE)