Railway engineering is a multi-faceted engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and operation of all types of rail transport 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.

Subfields

• Mechanical engineering
• Command, control & railway signalling
  • Office systems design
  • Data center design
  • SCADA
  • Network design
• Electrical engineering
  • Energy electrification
    • Third rail
      • Fourth rail
    • Overhead contact system
• Civil engineering
  • Permanent way engineering
• Light rail systems
• On-track plant
• Rail systems integration
• Train control systems
  • Cab signalling
• Railway vehicle engineering
• Rolling resistance
  • Curve resistance
• Wheel–rail interface
  • Hunting oscillation
• Railway systems engineering
  • Railway signalling
  • Fare collection
  • CCTV
  • Public address
  • Intrusion detection
  • Access control
• Systems integration

Professional organisations

• 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)
• In the Philippines: Philippine Railway Engineers' Association, (PREA) Inc.
• Worldwide: The Institute of Railway Signal Engineers (IRSE)