Kaifeng Hu started at RailTEC early in the summer of 2025, but he is already taking on the responsibility of continuing the research work started by Neeraj Thakur. Hu studied mechanical engineering before his time at RailTEC and holds a BS from Purdue University and a MS from Carnegie Mellon University, and is now pursuing a PhD at the University of Illinois.
Hu has been interested in railway engineering since his time at Purdue. “I’ve always wanted to do railroad-related research,” he says, and when deciding on what to pursue after his master’s degree, he was drawn by RailTEC’s prestige as a leading railway research organization. “I was looking for the next step,” Hu adds, and RailTEC will be just that, as it allows him to continue work in railway research.
Neeraj Thakur, a recent RailTEC graduate, initiated research at the University of Illinois on thermobuckling, and upon graduation passed the torch to Hu, who is continuing the research into analyzing railroad data to pinpoint thermobuckling issues. “Especially during hotter times, because it’s a very long welded track and there are no gaps or anything to accommodate the thermoexpansion of the track, sometimes the only way for the track to go is sideways,” Hu explains, “and it will definitely cause derailment most of the time if it buckles.” Hu and others working on the project review data of bigger railroad companies compiled from scanning tracks and analyze different aspects of the data to identify what section is prone to buckling. “Resources are limited, money is limited, so they want to use it wisely.”
Hu looks forward to making the best of his time at the University of Illinois, and a personal goal of his is to meet more people and make friends in the upcoming school year. He isn’t set on where to look after RailTEC. “For now, it’s too early to tell, because I see that RailTEC opens a lot of opportunities to connect with the industry.” Hu presented his and Neeraj’s work at the NURail Midwest Conference, and he will have the chance to attend and present at numerous other conferences in his time at RailTEC.
Hu says that he likes the facilities at the University of Illinois. “Everything’s easy to access,” he adds. “I’m excited to explore more, especially now that I have so many resources to work with. There are a lot of things we can do.” In his free time, he also enjoys photography, and likes meeting other rail fans while taking pictures of trains.