Rlys. announces launch of research initiatives, teaching programmes with University of Birmingham

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New Delhi : Chairman, Railway Board (CRB),  Vinod Kumar Yadav, and Lord Karan Billimoria, Chancellor, University of Birmingham, announced the launch of a Joint Masters programme in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration in academic year 2020-2021 by the National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI).

Chairman, Railway Board, Yadav said it was the dream of PM Narendra Modi to develop a Railway University which can look into all aspects of transportation. Over the last few years, a lot of transformational work has been done by Railways; focus has been on capacity enhancement and modernisation of Railways. Indian Railways looks forward for a long term association with University of Birmingham, the CRB said, according to a PIB release.

Sir David Eastwood said that University of Birmingham is delighted to work with Indian Railways. University of Birmingham has a proven track record in delivering high quality programmes. He expressed his gratitude for getting the opportunity to work with Indian Railways.

The programme that has been launched leads to dual M.Sc. that would see NRTI students obtaining two post graduate degrees from both institutions, after spending a year studying at each institution. It will also provide flexibility for some modules of the programme to be delivered online in the form of a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) and support for undergraduate teaching by University of Birmingham faculty at NRTI.

This initiative will benefit NRTI students by providing them access to world class expertise and facilities in railway systems at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE). BCRRE is also expected to gain valuable insights into India’s transport sector and get involved in related research and development issues in the country.

The initiative has been taken under the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems that had been set up by an MoU between the National Rail Transport Institute with the University of Birmingham on December 18, 2019. The National Rail Transport Institute has been set up as a deemed to be university and has been operational since 2018.

The University of Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) with over 150 academics, researchers and professional services staff, delivering world-class research, education, and leadership to the global rail industry.