Beginning in 2023, the Railway Association launched a college outreach program in conjunction with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) chapter of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). This pilot program consisted of an information session and two field visits and proved successful. Beginning in Fall 2023, the Railway Association will launch a larger version of this program throughout Southern California.

To get your college or student group involved in the Railway Association’s college program, please contact us via the email address or form provided here: [Contact RASC]

Justin Fornelli, Metrolink’s Chief of Program Delivery, goes over the first phase of the SCORE program. When complete these projects will allow Metrolink to improve all-day train frequencies. Photo by Metrolink, 2023.

Luncheons and Guest Lectures:

The Railway Association regularly arranges for speakers from rail agencies to present at our regular luncheons. Students can attend these for a discounted price, as well as sign up as a member for free.

Additionally, RASC can reach out to our speakers and coordinate a presentation at your campus. Contact us at the link above for more information.

Site Visits:

Through our agency partners, the Railway Association can arrange for a student group to make a site visit to an active facility or construction site. An example of this is a February 2023 tour of Metrolink’s Central Maintenance Facility conducted with UCLA-ITE.

In addition to the site visit itself, these events also are opportunities to learn about upcoming agency programs and to network with professionals in the public and private sectors.

A still from the 2021 “Introduction to Rail Design” webinar with USC’s ITE chapter, going over track horizontal design.

Rail 101:

A crash course in rail engineering with subject matter experts in the rail industry. Proposed topics for 2023-2024 include:

  • Introduction to Rail Infrastructure

  • Horizontal Design

  • Vertical Design

  • Guideway and Cross-Sections

  • Grading and Drainage

  • Grade Crossings

  • Railway Signalling

Track Renewal Work at Oil Junction on the Southern California Railway Museum main line, near the northern start point of the Balloon Track project. Photo by Alex Lewis, 2021.

Rail Lab:

The Rail Lab is a hands-on workshop done in collaboration with the Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM) in Perris, CA. Each year a track design project from the museum master plan is selected and advanced through preliminary engineering. For the 2023-2024 college program, this example project will be the design of the Carbarn #4 - Oil Junction secondary mainline, known as the “Balloon Track” in museum documents. A preliminary alignment is available on SCRM’s board updates: [Link to SCRM Website].

Field work included will consist of:

  • Site assessment (existing and proposed conditions)

  • Grade Crossing Diagnostics at five crossings.

  • Railroad Operations and Maintenance Coordination.

Additionally, a CADD portion will consist of design work as part of the Rail 101 course. This will cover the development of plans, a design report, and an estimate to be used for constructing the project. Additionally, when the project moves to construction, follow-up site visits will be scheduled to show construction means and methods.