RailTEC Graduates Working Around The World

Welcome to the University of Illinois Rail Transportation and Engineering Center (RailTEC)

In the news

$2.1M in DOD Grant Funding for CEE Team

The Department of Defense will have the help of CEE researchers to develop better systems to evaluate the structural health of rail lines and modernize pavement design and evaluation procedures in a new project funded by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) and led by Applied Research Associates Inc. CEE Professors Erol... Read More

RREC in RT&S, Abstracts Open

In the January 2023 issue of Railway Track & Structure (RT&S) magazine,  AREMA  President Trent M. Hudak wrote in his monthly Message From The President column about his experience attending his first Railroad Environmental Conference (RREC). He gave a glowing review of the conference complementing both the high quality program and presentations as... Read More

Registration Open for 2023 Summer High School Program

Building on the success of last year’s Tracks to the Future: Railroad Transportation and Engineering summer camp, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is funding an even bigger program this year. Six universities (Michigan Tech, Penn State Altoona, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of South Carolina, the University of New Mexico, and California State... Read More

What we do

Education

RailTEC inspires and engages students by offering the most extensive curriculum in railway engineering and transportation in North America. We offer multiple courses on rail topics and are committed to placing our graduates in rewarding public and private sector positions.  RailTEC also supports continuing education of rail professionals through seminars, short courses and conferences.

Research

RailTEC is a global leader in practical and theoretical research advancing the field in a broad range of important and timely railroad and rail transit engineering and transportation topics. Advanced research investigations are underway in railway safety, systems, and infrastructure, addressing dozens of topics that are essential to maintaining the safety, efficiency, reliability, sustainability and resiliency of railroad freight and passenger transportation.

Service

RailTEC shares its expertise with industry, government, academia, and the public helping to interpret and apply knowledge and implement solutions to advance rail transport and engineering. Our faculty and staff are well engaged as leaders and members of AREMA, TRB, AAR, ASCE, INFORMS, and IAROR committees.