Railway engineering
# Railway engineering

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)

