Overview
Our BEng (Hons) Railway Engineering gives you holistic expertise and cutting-edge exposure. Design, build, operate and manage existing and new railways and infrastructure. Access state-of-the-art facilities to excel in designing, operating, and managing rail networks. Engage in solving real-world design challenges, honing your interpersonal, enterprise, and employability skills. Studying for a railway engineering degree in London will prepare you for diverse roles in railway engineering.
- 1st in London rankings: Our Civil Engineering courses ranked 1st in London in 5 categories including “Teaching on my course” and “Learning Opportunities” in the 2024 National Student Survey.
- Gain theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills in civil and systems engineering for railway infrastructure. Take part in renowned competitions, including the IMechE Design Challenge, Formula Students, and Shell Eco-Marathon. Enhance your practical application of engineering principles.
- Immerse yourself in major civil, mechanical, and systems engineering subjects, while addressing contemporary railway system issues. Be involved in groundbreaking research projects, including infrastructure, geotechnics, coastal, and transportation engineering.
- Access state-of-the-art facilities like our hydraulic compression and testing, digital robotic arm, 3D manufacturing, fluid dynamics channels, scanning electron microscopes, CNC, plasma, and laser cutting machines. Enrich your hands-on experience in the world of railway engineering.
This course is in Clearing
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Course modules
The foundation year for Railway Engineering BEng gives you a strong base in key engineering subjects. You'll learn essential mathematical and analytical skills in the Analytical Mathematics and Mathematical Applications modules. You'll build scientific understanding through Engineering Sciences and Physical Sciences You'll study Introduction to Computing, and learn professional development skills via the Mental Wealth module. This prepares you well for the Railway Engineering degree.
In your first year, you'll get a foundational understanding of engineering, as a basis to build on. You'll study six core modules. In Mental Wealth: Engineering Profession 1, you'll develop career skills whilst looking at the social impact of engineering. In the Engineering Materials and Engineering Mechanics modules, you will study material properties and structural principles. You will explore mathematical applications through Applied Mathematics & Computing, study fluid behaviour in ThermoFluids, and develop electromechanical system knowledge in Engineering Principles. These modules are all designed to establish the comprehensive technical framework needed for railway engineering.
In your second year of Railway Engineering BEng, you'll dive deeper into the engineering profession, learning about your role as a railway engineer. You'll study six core modules. Mental Wealth develops crucial career skills through real-world feasibility studies. Engineering Design and Analysis equips you with sophisticated failure analysis skills using industry-standard software. You'll study theory in Dynamics and Control and practical applications in Applied Mechanics. You have the chance to take an optional industry placement. This will give you real-life experience, preparing you for leadership roles in modern railway engineering.
In your final year of Railway Engineering BEng you'll complete a capstone project, pulling together all your knowledge. You'll be able to combine your technical expertise with your passion for railways, making you industry-ready.
NOTE: Modules are subject to change. For those studying part time courses the modules may vary.
Download course specification
Entry requirements
What makes this course different

1st In London
Our Civil Engineering courses ranked 1st in London in 5 categories including “Teaching on my course” & “Learning Opportunities” in the 2024 National Student Survey
(National Student Survey 2024, Results published 10 July 2024)

Superb facilities
Use cutting-edge equipment like hydraulic compression testing machines, robotic arms, 3D printers, fluid dynamics channels, scanning electron microscopes, CNC machines, and plasma and laser cutters.
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Hands-on skills
Prepare for the future of railways by gaining the practical skills needed for the Industry 4.0 revolution. Focus on improving your physical and mental abilities to excel in the railway field.
Your future career
Railway engineering is a growth industry and currently, there is a shortage of quality railway engineers in the UK. Our railway engineering programme places a strong emphasis on professional life and employability skills, embedded throughout all aspects of your technical course with a focus on your enhanced key skills, such as communication, digital proficiency, social intelligence and teamwork. These skills will make you highly desirable for railway engineering jobs.
Industry links
You will be delivered guest sessions by railway industry specialists (e.g. Atkins, Costain Skanska, Siemens, Laing O'Rourke, HS2 project etc.) to strengthen your knowledge of real-world issues. You'll learn how they link to the concepts, theories, principles and hands-on practical elements taught during the course. This practical experience will be invaluable for your railway engineering career.
Graduate employers
Recent graduates with a railway engineering degree have gone on to work for Balfour Beatty, Transport for London, the Canary Wharf Group, Careys and Atkins. These are just a few examples of the opportunities available with a railway engineering degree.
Job roles
A railway engineering degree opens doors to various career paths. Typically, you could go on to become a rail systems engineer and progress on to become a rail engineering manager, for example working on the London Underground. Alternatively, you could transfer your skill set to roles in civil or structural engineering.
Further study
As you complete your railway engineering degree, you may choose to pursue further studies on our postgraduate courses such as:

As a university committed to your career growth, we've curated dedicated Career Zones across all of our campuses with practical services tailored to your success. From internships, personalised coaching, and employability workshops to volunteering, mentoring, placements, and enterprise opportunities, we offer a diverse range of support."Rema Khatun
Career Zone
How you'll learn
Your academic team includes a dynamic mix of research-active industrial practitioners, renowned researchers, chartered professionals and technologists, whose combined knowledge ensures you leave with a comprehensive understanding of railway engineering practice and research.
You will be setting your own hands-on and research–based learning where you will evaluate and critique recent data, literature and case studies as well. You will be delivered guest sessions by industry specialists (e.g. Atkins, Costain Skanska, Siemens, Laing O'Rourke, HS2 project etc.) to strengthen your knowledge of real-world issues and how they link to the concepts, theories, principles and hands-on practical elements taught during the course.
You can take part in the IMechE Design Challenge, competing at the national level. Get a taste of the 'real world' of engineering, challenging you to design, create, present and run a device to a strict technical specification.
Guided independent study
When not attending timetabled lectures or workshops, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. This will typically involve skills development through online study, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects and preparing coursework assignments and presentations.
Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, and specialist facilities, such as edit suites, the library, the full Microsoft Office software, including MS Teams, and Moodle: our Virtual Learning Environment.
Academic support
Our academic support team provides help in a range of areas - including learning and disability support.
Dedicated personal tutor
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of the academic course team who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at UEL and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer.
Workload
Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate percentages for this course are:
- Year 1: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
- Year 2: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
- Year 3: scheduled teaching - 300 hours; guided independent study - 900 hours.
Your timetable
Your individualised timetable is normally available within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9.00am and 6.00pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.
Class sizes
The size of classes can vary depending on the nature of the course, module and activity. This can range from large groups in a lecture theatre setting, to smaller groups taking part in seminars and collaborative work. You will receive your personalised timetable at the beginning of the academic year depending on your course.
How you'll be assessed
All assessments are designed to ensure that our railway engineering course is equipping you with all of the skills required to get into the engineering sector giving you a major competitive edge. Apart from the coursework and exams, you will be assessed by using technology and other diverse modes. Your learning journey will be further supported by using technology-enhanced learning as you will also participate in learning the latest industry-standard software.
Feedback is provided within 15 working days in line with UEL's assessment and feedback policy.
Campus and facilities
Docklands Campus, London, E16 2RD
Our waterfront campus in the historic Royal Docks provides a modern, well-equipped learning environment.
Join us and you'll be able to make the most of our facilities including contemporary lecture theatres and seminar rooms, art studios and exhibition spaces, audio and visual labs and a multimedia production centre.
Features include our 24/7 Docklands library, our £21m SportsDock centre, a campus shop and bookstore, the Children's Garden Nursery, cafés, eateries, a late bar, plus Student Union facilities, including a student lounge.
The University of East London is one of the few London universities to provide on-campus accommodation. Our Docklands Campus Student Village houses close to 1,200 students from around the world. We are well connected to central London and Canary Wharf, with London City Airport just across the water. We also run a free bus service that connects Docklands with Stratford campuses.
Who teaches this course
This course is delivered by the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering
The teaching team includes qualified academics, practitioners and industry experts as guest speakers. Full details of the academics will be provided in the student handbook and module guides.
What our students and staff say

UEL was the only university that offered what I actually wanted to study. It was definitely the place to be and I am where I am today thanks to UEL. Studying there could not have been better. The staff are dedicated and the students hospitable and friendly."
Franklin Nubila
Surveying and Mapping Sciences, BSc (Hons)

I went from starting in September with a huge bout of imposter syndrome to finishing the year with tremendous confidence that I can actually go on and achieve a degree."
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Graduate