Why You Should Opt For A Career in Railway Engineering

Railways are an integral part of people's life. It not only acts as a boon for the people but also a backbone of the Indian economy. It is the chief source of income for the country as well as the greatest source of employment - especially for the Railway Engineers. 

The railway engineers look after the works like bridge construction, permanent way development, signal and interlocking, Fittings and fastenings, etc.. They are the one who maintains and develops efficient engineering systems and solutions in an integrated manner. Only a few know about the facts that Railway engineering jobs are nowadays gaining momentum in the private sector also due to the introduction of the public-private partnership projects (PPP). 

What is Railway Engineering?

It is the branch of science in which there is the application of the engineering principles to maintain, function and develop the railway machinery and assets. The overall responsibility for the passenger's safety totally resides with the railway engineer, as on a single misconception, the loss could be incredible.

Thus, on the basis of the functioning, railway engineering can be classified in many ways:

• Permanent Way Engineer- Branch of the railway engineering to develop, maintain and functioning of the permanent way, simply called the track development. This is one kind of basic branch of railway engineering.

• Signal and Interlocking Engineer- Signal and interlocking engineering as the name suggests deals with the signalling system of the railways, their maintenance, and developments. Similarly, interlocking is to develop the locking and assembling of the tracks.

• Carriage and Wagon Engineer- This is the engineering branch of the railway that deals with the carriage and wagons like wheels, axles, SLR coaches, and locomotives.

• Electrical and Train Lighting Engineer- This branch of railway engineering deals with the Electrical profile of the railways, either it may be station lighting or it may be train-lighting.

• Site Engineer- The site engineer in railways is responsible for managing the detail of a construction project and ensuring that nothing is overlooked. The job of a site engineer involves checking up on each element of the building work to ensure that it meets all the proper standards. This means a site engineer needs to pay great attention to detail and have a meticulous approach to their work each day. Some of their tasks include providing a daily diary of work completed, doing detailed drawings of work that has actually been completed, especially where it differs from the plan, and managing subcontractors. They also need to liaise with the client and share responsibility for health and safety issues during construction.

• Section Engineer- It’s the job of a section engineer to translate the plans for a railway construction project from the page to the ground – in other words, making sure that the building or vehicle is built as closely as possible to the plans. This means mustering all the resources, from building materials to finding subcontractors, and monitoring the work to make sure it’s done properly. Day to day tasks of a section engineer involve doing the setting out – placing markers for different elements of the build like platforms or lift shafts, setting out a weekly program for the works to be done,  and carrying out inspections of work done so far.

• Structural Engineer- Structural engineering jobs involve designing the framework that holds together a building or structure like a locomotive or railway carriage. Sometimes this would simply involve analysing existing structures to see if they can be repurposed – for example, establishing whether a bridge might support a heavier train, or if a section of the track might be able to cope with the stresses of a high-speed train. The tasks of a structural engineer often focus more on design than the building, so they need to be able to design using a wide variety of materials, produce accurate drawings and provide reports showing the specifications of the buildings or vehicles they are designing.

• Civil Engineer- A civil engineer is responsible for planning, designing or maintaining railway track and stations, or structures such as bridges or tunnels. This is typically a more generalised or strategic role in the rail industry and civil engineers would often parcel out specific tasks to specialists like structural engineers, section engineers and site engineers. A civil engineer may start a job by discussing the requirements with an architect and the client. They move on to analysing the site, drawing up blueprints, assessing risks, costs and time required, before moving on to manage the construction work, including dealing with contractors. Rail engineering is a complex field which deals with all the different facets of a railway, from designing and building railways and stations to operating and maintaining the rail systems. Rail engineers are focused on the challenges of trying to improve the existing railway network and trains while using advanced infrastructure technologies. As seen above, there are several different roles that fall into the category of a railway engineer, with some focused on maintenance while others are more about improving the rail network.

• Surveyor- Railway engineering works are totally based on the surveys conducted by the surveyors. Thus surveyors in the railways are assigned the tedious tasks and hence are highly paid with other railway facilities. Apart from the technical part, if you feel like challenging your intellectual abilities then you are welcome to get involved in the research branch; where you can proudly address yourself as a research geek. Railways offer you tremendous job opportunities which not only have a good salary perspective but also the facilities and prestige. Those who are about to take Railways as a career option or those who are new to this line should start their work from now onwards to grab the opportunity as soon as possible.

Benefits of a B.Tech Course in Value Added Railway Engineering

1.All-in-one Course

You have heard about the engineering degree courses having specialization in Civil, Mechanical, Computers, IT, Marine, Aviation, etc. Well, what separates Railway Engineering courses from the others is that it is an amalgamation of the civil, mechanical, and computer subjects and this is what makes it so demanding.

When you gain knowledge of various significant streams at a time, the result is always rewarding. This makes you confident while competing in the long run for making a bright career.

2. Ample Career Options

When you opt for a railway engineering course, you rest assured that your future is bright. Yes, you read it right! With the massive scope including opportunities in Indian Railways, foreign rail companies, R&D centres, consultants, you do not have to worry at all about your future. Indian Railways each year has huge openings for railway engineers at various grades with attractive perks. Also, you open the gates to work with foreign rail companies and widen your knowledge-base as well as increase your earnings.

You can work in research centres of many companies and get the opportunity to implement your skills and knowledge to bring out something called fresh in the railways; in order to make them more efficient and cost-friendly. You can also work as a consultant by helping rail companies hire your services to make their business grow. 

The railway network is very vast and is spread around the globe; which confirms that you have opportunities showering from all around the world.

3. Research Opportunities

It is always a dream for many scholars to bring out something new that will not only be innovative but a remarkable invention and which can be implemented worldwide. Railway engineering is one such faculty that supports that one dream, to be unique and unconventional.

Once you are done with the bounds of conventional education, you have a wider window open for R&D. You have opportunities to become the next pioneer of railways through exceptional research. Although, you can join as a research assistant to fuel the development being done. You can also work on the designing part of the railways where new innovation and efficiency is widely appreciated.

You can also work on researching the engine part of the railway. You can try and test various new forms of the engine, its design and make it more compact, energy-efficient with maximizing its speed.

Besides, you can integrate it with new digital technology so as to make rail transport easier and well-organized saving time and money at the same time. One can also research the safety of rail transport. Researching in railways is just limitless!

4. Management 

If you are more interested in Human & Resource Management, organizing things is a plus to you ‘ then you can choose your career as a Railway Engineer Manager. Here you will be introduced to activities like Human Resource Management, Supervision, Rendering the entire rail system, managing the capacity, management of freights, management of fittings and fastenings, signals and interlocking, mitigate the potential risks, etc.

This may or may not require being present on the site and everything can be handled from your office through digital mode.

5. Teaching

If spreading the word is the best charity, embracing the liberty and sharing the same with people is more of your thing - then you can nurture yourself as a pioneer to shape intellectual minds towards Rail and technology. You can join in as a faculty member of a reputed college or university and pass on your knowledge to the would-be engineers.

If you have a strong urge to learn new things, being a professor has one biggest advantage that you are kept updated with the new advancements in the field constantly along with your current knowledge. This also helps to know the thought-process of the students and enjoy dynamic discussion sessions.

Despite the existing hoards of opportunities worldwide in the railway industry, the biggest attraction is towards the Indian Railway and is the most sought after career destination. 

Now, before we end, just a fact check about the Indian Railway market: The Indian Railway is one of the largest recruiters of India. 

Believe Us!