For over 15 years, Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) has been committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders in rail engineering. As part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE), RTP has served as a beacon of research, education, and innovation for rail enthusiasts from high school students to expert faculty and everyone in between.
Michigan Tech’s one-of-a-kind program was founded in 2007 by Pasi Lautala, then a recent Michigan Tech doctoral graduate, now long-time faculty member, who serves as director of both RTP and MTTI. Since its inception, the program’s goal has been three-fold: education, research, and outreach.
“Michigan Tech is one of a fairly few universities in the US that has a program concentrating on rail transportation education and research,” says Lautala, who is also the College of Engineering’s associate dean of research. “One of the things that makes us unique is the interdisciplinary approach we’ve taken since the formation of the program.”
The interdisciplinary approach begins with the RTP’s education efforts. Around the country,opportunities for undergraduate students to study rail transportation and engineering are rare. Perhaps most unique to Michigan Tech is its minor in rail transportation. Designed for students from various engineering disciplines, students enrolled in the minor study rail industry and engineering, taking railroad-related courses in civil engineering, logistics, management, and leadership.
Since being offered in 2016, approximately 25 students have graduated with the rail minor with another 15 students currently enrolled. The Courses for the minor are also available to students not enrolled in the program. More than 1,000 students have participated in one or more of the Michigan Tech railroad courses to date.
Programs Connect Students To Support and Industry
Support for rail students goes beyond the classroom. The CN Rail Transportation Education Center (CN RTEC), located in Dillman Hall, is a space for them to collaborate and socialize. Established through a generous gift by CN Railway, CN RTEC is equipped with work stations and its very own rail library, the center also serves as a meeting space for the Railroad Engineering and Activities Club, which provides student members with opportunities to explore the rail industry through field trips, networking events, and conferences.
RTP is also committed to helping students find meaningful careers in the rail industry. Railroad Night, RTP’s longest-running tradition, is an annual fall event that brings rail industry professionals to campus, many of whom are Michigan Tech alumni, to interview students for internships and full-time positions. Tech students and faculty also have the opportunity to present their rail research.
The strength of the relationship between RTP and industry leaders is due in large part to the Rail Transportation Advisory Board (RTAB), established by RTP in 2013. This board of rail industry professionals, mainly Michigan Tech alumni from around the country, has helped provide guidance for student recruitment, industry needs, as well as program funding. The board’s guidance has also maintained Michigan Tech’s visibility as a leader in rail transportation education and research.
For RTP, rail education doesn’t just start at the university level. Tracks to the Future is part of the Summer Youth Program focusing on rail transportation. Students grades 9-11 visit campus, tour rail facilities and field sites, and even build their own piece of railroad track. This hands-on experience is designed to inspire the next generation of rail engineers and managers. More than 300 students have participated in the last three years when the program was also expanded to several other universities in the US.
Tech is On Track to Continue Expanding Rail Research
The interdisciplinary nature of RTP’s educational efforts extends to faculty research. RTP is a research conduit that connects Tech faculty with other universities, agencies like Michigan Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (part of U.S. Department of Transportation), and industry partners like CN, BNSF, and Union Pacific Railroad.
Lautala says that rail research at Michigan Tech has grown dramatically over the past few years.
“Part of the reason is new opportunities that have come, mainly through some expanded federal funding programs, but I believe that the other reasons are the diversification of our expertise and the growing credibility of our rail activities,” said Lautala.
The Rail Transportation Program has now existed for more than 15 years, so we have been able to complete several projects, while also providing graduates to the industry.
Currently, RTP has 15 ongoing or recently completed rail research projects across train/vehicle communication, rail workforce development, sustainable rail transportation, and materials and artificial intelligence. These projects are being led by Michigan Tech faculty and researchers in CEGE, but also in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Psychology and Human Factors, and Biological Sciences.
“With more faculty from multiple departments involved, we can also more easily work on topics that might have been out of our reach in the past,” says Lautala.
RTP’s commitment to offering opportunities for collaboration and innovation for students and faculty interested in rail transportation has made Michigan Tech a leading rail university. RTP and its faculty and students are committed to continuing its leadership for many years to come.
“Despite being a two centuries old industry, rail transportation hasn’t lost its relevance,” says Lautala. “It remains as the most efficient way for moving people and goods. At the time when efficient and environmentally friendly solutions are more important than perhaps ever, rail development and engineering is also as important as ever, so we can make sure we take full advantage of the rapid technological developments by harnessing them to continuous improvement of rail transportation.”
About the College of Engineering
Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering offers more than 15 bachelor of science degrees in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil, environmental and geospatial engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering fundamentals, geological and mining engineering and sciences, manufacturing and mechanical engineering and technology, materials science and engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering.
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