The RTP team organize and staff a statewide rail transportation conference for Michigan DOT.http://www.rail.mtu.edu/event/2nd-annual-michigan-rail-conference
RTP students have the opportunity to be involved in projects and research. Student projects develop organizational skills, real-life project experience, ability to work with clients, and interactive hands-on learning. There are two primary avenues for students to get real life project experience: Senior Design or Enterprise.
The general objective of the Senior Design Project is to provide an opportunity to successfully complete a major, semester-long assignment integrating a range of civil and environmental engineering disciplines and skills. This course serves as a transition between traditional teaching and professional practice.
Enterprise teams perform testing and analysis, make recommendations, manufacture parts, develop products and processes, provide services, meet budgets and schedules, and manage multiple projects. Faculty members act as coaches and mentors. Industry sponsors advise and guide. Enterprise projects can be one or more semester's long.
Projects
Use of a low cost sensor system to provide rail road property trespasser warning and possible prevention activities.
Sponsored by: NURail Center
Expand work to include high speed train crossings and evaluation of new and existing grade crossing safety devices
Sponsored by: NURail Center
Development of content and structure for the rail portal developed under the High Speed Rail (HSR) Workforce Development through Education and Training project
Sponsored by: NURail Center
Concept paper submitted use of drones and sensors to inspect track conditions in yards and at switches. We propose to develop a UAV-based ALS system that achieves the following objectives: Measurement of geo-registered 3D topographical survey data; autonomous detection of rail-transportation infrastructure, such as rail, track beds, cars, signals, etc.; Autonomous navigation a
Sponsored by: NURail Center
Principal Investigator: Dr. Pasi Lautala
Co-PI(s): Dr. Paul Metz, Dr. Theresa Ahlborn, Dr. Devin Harris
A rail link from Alaska to the rest of the North American rail system has been under consideration since the Alaska Railroad was started in 1914. Recently, a renewed interest in resource deposits in Alaska, Yukon, and British Columbia, as well as changing world markets, global trade dynamics and supply chains, has rekindled interest in that link.
Sponsored by: Alaska Dept of Transportation, University of Alaska - Fairbanks
Project Schedule:
Jul, 2008
A multidisciplinary team of students provided a client overview of train control systems using balise technology, and the potential market opportunities in that technology area. Ongoing work will look at use of radio frequency tags in the rail industry.
Project Schedule:
Sep, 2013 to May, 2014
A team of students from the REAC club will create a demonstration track section at a campus location. The students will handle all aspects of the project, from initial planning and site selection, through design, material acquisition, and construction. The plan anticipates donated materials from rail industry sources. The completed track section will be used as a learning tool in rail and transportation classes throughout the curriculum.
Project Schedule:
Sep, 2014
