Railway businesses rely on advanced technical and operational systems to carry vast numbers of passengers in densely populated areas and large quantities of goods over long distances, economically, safely and in a timely manner. The taught postgraduate programme in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration has a strong focus on developing postgraduates' railway engineering knowledge and know-how, their systems integration skills and their understanding of the complex interactions between subsystems. It develops participants' ability to work in multi-disciplinary project teams and is strongly supported by railway practitioners. Graduates of the programme design, build, operate and manage successfully the sophisticated subsystems and complex interfaces characterising existing and new railways.
Towards the end of the 20th century it became apparent that the ever-increasing demand for the transport of people and goods could not be satisfied by the current transport offer, without creating significant environmental impact through noise, atmospheric pollution and land take. Railways were rediscovered as a potentially sustainable solution for many traffic flows, particularly where volumes are high, while also offering benefits in terms of speed, safety and reductions in congestion.
