Railway systems engineering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Railway Systems 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 and Production engineering. A great many other engineering sub-disciplines are also called upon.
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[edit] History
With the advent of the railways in the early nineteenth century, a need arose for a specialised group of engineers capable of dealing with the unique problems asscociated 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 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.
[edit] Subfields
- Command, Control & Signalling
- Energy Electrification
- Infrastructure Permanent Way engineering
- Light rail systems
- On-track plant
- Rail Systems Integration
- Train control systems
- Railway Vehicle Engineering
- Wheel-rail interface
[edit] Professional organizations
In the UK: The Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).
