Introduction to Railway System

The railway system is very complex and includes several interacting technical, conducting and regulating subsystems. Today's fragmented control of the railway system places high demands on cooperation between these subsystems, so that sub-optimization can be avoided. This course aims to provide an introduction and overview of the total railway system.

Course content:

• The railway transport system and its context and target image
• Mandatory laws, regulations and regulations as well as safety regulations.
• Technology systems for infrastructure, vehicles, traffic management and delivered capacity, interaction, technical life and sustainment
• Traffic management and the allocation process
• Planning processes for new construction, reinvestment, operation and maintenance, setting train timetables, working time planning and procurement of goods and services
• The organization of the railway system, parties and the parties' target images (business models), cooperation and implementation
• Funding system
• The human factor, competence requirements, experience and skills, company culture and behaviour

Target group:
Engineers, operators, managers and researchers working in the railway industry.

Pre knowledge:
Secondary school, bachelor's degree or equivalent.

How the course will be conducted:
The students are introduced to the subject before the lessons through self-study of learning materials (Flipped classroom). The students will have direct access to the teaching materials and the teacher acts as a coach and mentor. During the lectures, there will be opportunities for questions and time for short discussions.

Extent: 80 hours if the examination passed is going to be registered as 3 credits or 40 hours if the examination passed is registered as a certificate.

The course is structed as follows:
10–40 hours of self-study (depending on the chosen examination), 18 hours of meeting time, divided between lessons, study visits and examination, and 20 hours of group work.

Dates and times for meetings:

• October 24, at 13-17, on site (LTU campus in Luleå) or participation via zoom
• October 31, at 08-17, campus in Luleå lessons in the morning, study visits in the afternoon
• November 7, at 13-17, on site (LTU campus in Luleå) or participation via zoom
• November 14, at 13-17, on site (LTU campus in Luleå) or participation via zoom
• November 21, at 13-15 examination on site (LTU campus in Luleå) or participation via zoom

To be approved for the course, you must:
For credits and certificates; Oral and written presentation of assigned coursework. In order to receive higher education credits, students need to supplement the written report with a more in-depth analysis of a number of sub-tasks.

After completing the course, participants will: 

• Understand and be able to explain the Swedish railway system and its subsystems and how they contribute to achieving the system goals.
• Have knowledge of system status and improvement areas.
• Have knowledge of the systems' barriers and enablers.
• Understand which areas need to be developed regarding, for example, operation and maintenance, supply of skills, better ability to meet new innovations in the form of digitization, AI and measures that make the railway more resistant to future climate changes.

Teachers: 

• Ulla Juntti, adjunct professor in operation and maintenance technology, with 40 years of experience from the railway industry.
• Veronica Jägare, technical doctor in operation and maintenance technology, assistant operations manager for the Railway Technical Center (JVTC).
• Kiumars Teymourian, technical doctor in industrial ergonomics, health and safety responsibility.