Education programmes of job
Nature of work
Railway engineer is a profession in civil engineering field.The tasks assigned to the railway engineer may be classified as follows:
►In the professional field:
- Studying the aerial photographs and the topographic plans that related to the project.
- Studying the different routes and the suitable alternatives of the railway tracks, choose the best route and prepare the required preliminary designs to construct the railway.
- Studying the available materials and specifying its properties and choosing the suitable for the construction of the railway structure.
- Preparing the final plans for the project and defining the specifications, and preparing the quality reports.
- Monitoring the quality of the implementation by taking specimens and conducting the required experiments in the laboratory.
- Preparing specific bid conditions for the railway projects, and studying them from technical and financial point of view.
- Preparing the specific technical reports for implementing the quality.
- Evaluating the employee performance and determining training needs.
- Teaching in universities and in technical institutes specifically in the railway field and transportation in general.
Environment of work
- The railway engineer works about 8 hours daily during the working days, except (or even during) the weekend when it is not possible to stop the work until finishing it.
- The work place should be at office, if the work is studying projects, whereas the work place should be at the field, if his/her task is the implementation the project.
- He can work as a railway engineer in a group of engineers (especially in the office), where he/she has a boss at the work, and may have assistant engineers to help him/her in monitoring and in the implementation of the project according to the required specifications. There will be under the supervision of the railway engineer, especially the field, groups of workers and employees.
- He/she needs field car for his transportation if the work is at the field, whereas he/she needs computer and engineering software if the work is at the office (studies).
- He/she is committed to international standards specifications to implement the jobs or to a specified technical specification for the project.
- He /she should have credibility and honesty, not undergoing to the solitarily influences, and give his opinion and documentation on his job results in complete transparently and neutrality state.
Professional life
- His/her monthly salary as a starter in the public sector is about 20000 S.P).
- He/she may work alone through constructing his/her own establishment as engineering office or studying firm or special contracting firm or work as an employee in private or public firm.
- He /she may travel in those tasks required for job necessities; such as concluding contracts, importing machines and materials, or providing technical and consultation experiences.
- The professional pathway for the railway engineer develops when he /she gains the practical and management experiences through functional progresses by steps as a manager of project or projects then to the bigger sections or fields in managing the firm or the establishment or even the ministry, that include planning tasks and putting the development programs, and cooperating with local or regional or international institutions or agencies.
- He/she may travel out or give expertise in his/her field or to attend related conferences or symposiums.
Sectors of careers
- Railway engineer can perform his tasks within the following professional sectors:
- General companies in constructions and maintenance of railways.
- General and private companies and offices specialized in studying railway projects.
- Railway engineer may communicate with (or contribute in) the following academic fields:
- Civil engineering fields in general, and specialization in transportation engineering in specific.
- Research centers interested in developing railways.
Getting the job
Approaching this profession can be through the following:- Obtaining the BSc. degree in civil engineering (general civil) or may be a BSc. graduate in transportation section if there is a special department for the transportation in the faculty of civil engineering, or might have obtained graduate studies degree specializing in transportation.
- He/she should have the knowledge in the following subjects (using computer software, programs such as MS office, Adobe Photoshop, Outlook, and some special computer software programs that related to the railway projects such as Power Plan, Rails, Vision, and Trail, also conversant with the usage of the international standards in designing the railways such as UIC, AREA, good knowledge in the GIS and data management systems.
- Join the engineering syndicate and advance in steps such as trainee, innate, professional, consultant, since most agencies of the study or verification in most railways projects stipulate to the engineer to have a consultant degree in the engineering syndicate as a prerequisite.
Skills
- Working efficiently in a multi specialty team and may be multi ethnic team and good knowledge of English and should be familiar with different work environment.
- Showing effective personal skills in the work environment through the ability to create the solutions and give invention ideas.
- Self learning and continuing to catch with the rapid and technical progress especially those related to the computer software programs, material and new technology in the railways field, and the ability to transfer the knowledge and the skills in the field of specialty.
- The ability to put timetable, achieving the required work on time, and managing the time with high competence, and work according to the obligatory priority.
- Management of the tasks and the resources efficiently and effectively and possibility of development.
- Commitment with the professional standards, the moral professional, evaluates the performance of the workers, and work to raise their skills continuously.
- The ability of cooperative work with the costumers and with other designers and contractors.
- Ability to prepare the bids and tenders documents to draw the bids and contracts
- Experience in land surveying would be a positive feature.
Sources and references
- Interior roster of the Faculty of Civil Engineering at the University of Aleppo-2012.
- Arab classification standards of profession-Arab Work Organization-2008.
- National Academic Reference Standards-Ministry of Higher Education-2012.
- Internet, Website - Job description format.
Summary
- Railway engineer is a profession in civil engineering field. He/she is the one who performs the studies related to the railway projects and determine the best route of the railway.
- The railway certificate can be achieved by studying for five years in the civil engineering faculty during this period, the student is trained to study the projects and preparing the plans and perform the quality experiments in the labs and prepare the technical reports and the time plan to implement the projects