There’s a rail transportation program at Michigan Technological University that is gaining national recognition.
It’s part of the University Rail Center of Excellence, a nine-member national consortium of universities focusing on academic research and education in railroading — supported by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration. The program also won a Governor's Traffic Safety Advisory Commission award.
Michigan Tech’s prominence is not surprising, since there are
not many railroad education programs in the United States. On the other hand, it
is surprising, given that there are no working railroads anywhere near Houghton university.
Tracks to the Keweenaw Peninsula have long been abandoned and overgrown. The last train chugged out of Houghton decades ago. In fact, according to a Michigan Department of Transportation map, there are only five railroads serving the U.P. All but one of them are regional lines, and they all haul freight. There is no passenger service.
Yet interest in railroading seems to be strong at Michigan Tech. The
Rail Transportation Program (RTP), part of the university’s
Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) has attracted more than 1,000 students since it began in 2007, and it’s still growing, a beacon of research, education and innovation for the rail industry.
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Michigan Technological UniversityPasi Lautala“Michigan Tech is one of a fairly few universities in the U.S. that has a program concentrating on rail transportation education and research,” says Pasi Lautala, who is associate dean for research, professor of civil, environmental and geospatial engineering at MTU's College of Engineering and is also MTTI/RTP director. “One of the things that makes us unique is the interdisciplinary approach we’ve taken since the formation of the program.”
There is no rail transportation major. Students can minor in rail transportation; they come from majors all over the university: engineering, business, sciences and arts, even forestry. Researchers and faculty in the program also come from a variety of disciplines. That way, the different skills and interests that students and faculty bring to the program expands their horizons and enriches them all.
How did it come about?
Lautala brought the RTP idea to Michigan Tech in 2007, when he was recruited by Professor Emeritus Bill Sproule from his railroad consulting job in Chicago to develop Tech’s first rail transportation course.
Lautala is from Finland. The son of a locomotive engineer, Lautala grew up in a culture that embraced rail transportation as a sustainable public transit alternative, as well as an efficient way to move freight. He’d worked in the rail industry there before coming to the United States to go to college.
The rail industry was recruiting heavily at that time, trying to recover from an industry slump in the late 20
th century and preparing to replace a large number of employees approaching retirement. They quickly got on board to support the university’s new rail transportation program.
Several large railroads, including CN — the only major company still serving the U.P. — awarded grants to the RTP. CN gave Michigan Tech $250,000 to establish a Rail Transportation Education Center, providing a physical home for the Rail Transportation Program.
“CN believes in supporting the next generation of railroaders, and the Michigan Tech Rail Transportation Program is a great program that develops leaders and technologies to support current and future operations,” said Michelle Hannon, a spokesperson for CN.
Tech’s program also received a grant from the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC).
“Schools with (a) rail transportation program, like Michigan Tech, are investing in resources that will help the railway industry attract and train qualified employees for the future,” says Ashley Wieland, NRC president. “There has never been a more important time to address the need for the next generation of leaders in the railroad industry.’
But what Lautala launched in 2007 was a three-year pilot program.
“If anyone had told me that I’d still be at Michigan Tech, running a rail transportation program 25 years later, I’d have said they were crazy,” he says.
Rail graduates and students laud the program
Aaron Dean, a Michigan Tech mechanical engineering graduate with a rail transportation minor, found his life’s work in the rail industry through Tech’s rail transportation program. He first dipped his foot in railroading waters by taking an introduction to rail transportation seminar. It has since evolved into a preliminary course on sustainable rail transportation.
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Michigan Technological UniversityMore than 1,000 students have participated in the rail transportation program since its founding in 2007.“I always had an interest in trains and railroads as a child, but in my early college days, I never considered the possibility of finding a fulfilling career as a mechanical engineer in the rail industry,” he says. “Upon getting involved with MTU’s Rail Transportation Program, as well as REAC (Railroad Engineering & Activities Club), I realized just how diverse the rail transportation industry is. There is so much opportunity for development and technological advancement in the rail industry. It is such an exciting world to be a part of."
Dean went on to take courses in railroad engineering, combustion engines, logistics and transportation management, fuel cell technology, technical and professional communication, and leadership courses. He graduated from Michigan Tech in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor degree in rail transportation.
His senior capstone design project was also rail-focused, sponsored by Pettibone/Traverse Lift, LLC, a company based in Baraga where he interned.
“Our team developed a solution to replace a very expensive hydraulic valve on Pettibone’s Speed Swing product line. The Pettibone Speed Swing is used almost exclusively in the railroad construction industry,” he says. “At the end of the project, we were able to identify a viable solution that would bring a 90-95 percent cost savings compared to the original component.”
Pettibone hired Dean after he graduated. He worked there until moving to his current job as a product development engineer for Advanced Rail Systems. The company specializes in the design and manufacture of railyard automation products and software solutions.
Dean calls rail transportation a crucial part of the world economy. “Experts will say that — aside from pipelines — rail transportation is the most efficient means of land transportation,” he explains. “The more goods are shipped by rail, the more efficiently the freight is moved, thus reducing our overall carbon impact. As humans in general aim to reduce our impact on the environment, rail transportation is increasingly being looked at as an economically viable option to transport passengers and freight safely and efficiently.”
Railroads are looking to adapt to the information age, with big data and data collection methodologies becoming more important.
"Real-time rail car tracking, health monitoring and railyard inventory reporting are going to be key developmental areas for the railroads as they aim to reduce terminal dwell time and increase overall network efficiency,” he predicts.
Landon Vojtech is a third-year civil engineering major at Michigan Tech and president of REAC. He’s taking a minor in rail transportation.
"I have been fascinated with trains since I was little,” he says. “When I discovered a railroad club that offered opportunities to gain a behind-the-scenes look at the industry and network with people involved in it, I joined. This was during my first semester of college, and I have been a member ever since.”
He would like to pursue a career in the rail industry.
"What intrigues me about this field is the sense of community among the railroads and the people who work in this industry. Everyone collaborates towards a common goal: keeping America moving.
“Railroads operate very efficiently and allow us to move our goods more sustainably,” he adds. “They will play a key role in our goal to become a more sustainable society.”
Dean credits Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program with giving him a first-hand look at the exciting career opportunities available in the rail transportation industry and setting him on his path to a fulfilling future.
“My role in the industry is firmly rooted by the knowledge and insight gained from such a unique learning experience,” he says.
Lautala couldn’t be happier with the success of his rail transportation program.
“Rail just makes sense, and it’s something this country needs,” he says.