Founded in 1988, the National Academy of Railroad Science in Overland, Kansas, and has since become the largest provider of employee training and certification in North America. Many private railway companies contract with this company to provide education for their newly hired employees. It offers more than 100 courses covering all forms of locomotive travel, more than any other institution, according to the company's website. The academy operates through a partnership with Johnson County Community Colleges, giving it access to state-of-the-art classrooms, lecture halls, libraries and information technology. The FastTrack training program offered by NARS allows students to receive dual credit at Johnston County Community College, good toward an Associate of Arts degree.
National Academy of Railroad Science
12345 College Blvd.
Overland Park, KS 66210
913-319-2603
railroadtraining.com
Michigan Technical University offers locomotive engineering education through its railway engineering program administered. It offers courses such as introduction to railroad engineering, international railroad engineering, and railroad track engineering and design. The school is also exploring the possibility of allowing students from other disciplines to earn a certificate in rail transportation in tandem with their undergraduate or graduate studies. Michigan Technical University also offers internships to qualified students so that they can get hands-on experience before entry into the railroad industry.
Michigan Technological University
Rail Transportation Program
1400 Townsend Drive
Houghton, MI 49931
906-487-3547
rail.mtu.edu
The University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, has been educating railway engineering students for more than 100 years, making it one of the oldest and largest programs in the United States. The program awards graduate-level engineering degrees though the University's Civil Engineering Department. This program puts a heavy emphasis on cutting-edge research and development for the future of railway transportation. The department also offers continuing education for those currently in the railroad industry in the form of conferences, workshops and short railway-related courses. For matriculated students, Illinois offers internships and co-ops. These programs offer students real world experience before entering the work force, as well as the opportunity to make valuable contacts inside the industry for job possibilities upon graduation.
Director of Railroad Engineering Program
1203 Newmark Engineering Laboratory, MC-250
205 N. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
217-244-6338
ict.illinois.edu