Course on Costs and Economic Evaluation in Subways and Trains
Online course of 300 hours in costs and economic appraisal for metro and rail: 6 modules covering cost estimation for railway systems, operating and maintenance costs, demand and benefits, cost–benefit analysis, and multi-criteria appraisal and decision-making, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Costs and Economic Evaluation in Subways and Trains — studying from Australia
Australia's infrastructure pipeline is substantial, covering roads, rail, ports, water and urban development across major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Rail engineering is especially active, with projects including Sydney Metro and Melbourne Metro. Smart city initiatives draw on sensors, data platforms and digital twins to improve transport, utilities and public services. Employers include state transport authorities, engineering consultancies such as Aurecon and WSP, and major contractors. Engineers work on design, asset management, construction oversight and sustainability.
Fees for Australia: A$1,020 (AUD), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Australia
Typical roles
Questions from Australia
Does a SEIUM qualification meet Australian civil engineering registration requirements?
No. Civil engineers in Australia typically need an Engineers Australia accredited degree to pursue Chartered status, and state and territory rail and infrastructure regulators set their own requirements. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by these bodies, so employers or regulators decide how much weight they carry.
Which Australian employers hire in civil, rail and smart cities?
Australia has public infrastructure agencies, rail operators, engineering consultancies and councils working on urban and smart city projects. Employers usually prioritise accredited qualifications, licensing and project experience. Ask potential employers whether a private online qualification would be considered alongside your experience.
Is the course workable alongside work, and what does it cost?
The courses are 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in Australia without a student visa. Specialist courses take 300 hours, diplomas 800 and master's 1,900, so plan your time accordingly. Fees are payable in instalments, employer sponsorship may be possible, and you will have an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Estimate the investment costs of metro and rail projects.
Calculate operating and maintenance costs over the life cycle.
Quantify the socio-economic benefits of a new service.
Apply the European cost–benefit analysis methodology.
Analyse the sensitivity and risk of profitability indicators.
Compare alternatives through multi-criteria appraisal.
Produce a complete economic appraisal of a railway project.
Who it's for
- Transport economists
- Infrastructure investment analysts
- Public transport planning technicians
- Project appraisal consultants
- Railway project cost managers
- Management control technicians at operators
- Engineering or science graduates looking to work in transport authorities and consortia
What you'll work with
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 480/2014 (cost–benefit analysis of major projects)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/207 (format of the cost–benefit analysis)
- Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects (European Commission, 2014)
- ISO 15686-5 (service-life planning – life-cycle costing)
- EN 50126 (railway applications – specification and demonstration of RAMS)
- Law 38/2015 (Spanish Railway Sector Act)
- Law 9/2017 (Spanish Public Sector Contracts Act)
- Microsoft Excel
- Palisade @RISK
- PTV Visum
- Expert Choice
- Presto
6 modules
1.1Cost structure of a metro and a railway1.2Infrastructure costs by typology1.3Rolling stock costs1.4Systems costs: signalling, power and communications1.5Reference cost databases1.6Parametric and analogous estimating1.7Cost overruns and optimism bias1.8Contingencies and risk analysis1.9Accuracy by project phase1.10Case study: parametric estimate for a metro line
2.1Operating costs per train-kilometre2.2Driving and station staff2.3Traction energy consumption2.4Track and overhead line maintenance2.5Rolling stock maintenance2.6Security and cleaning costs2.7Life cycle cost (LCC)2.8Benchmarking with CoMET and Nova2.9Fare revenue and cost recovery2.10Practical exercise: calculating the cost per passenger-kilometre
3.1Four-stage demand models3.2Attracting passengers from other modes3.3Time savings and their valuation3.4Avoided vehicle operating costs3.5Accident reduction and its valuation3.6Avoided emissions and noise3.7Agglomeration benefits3.8Effects on land value3.9Treatment of induced benefits3.10Workshop: estimating time savings for a new line
4.1Principles and stages of cost–benefit analysis4.2European Commission CBA Guide 20144.3Social discount rate4.4Economic NPV, IRR and B/C ratio4.5Shadow prices and conversion factors4.6Residual value of assets4.7Sensitivity analysis and switching values4.8Probabilistic risk analysis4.9Financial versus economic analysis4.10Lab: full CBA of a tram line
5.1Limitations of CBA5.2AHP and PROMETHEE multi-criteria methods5.3Equity and distributional effects5.4Ex-post project evaluation5.5Prioritising an investment portfolio5.6Analysis of alternatives: BRT, tram or metro5.7Communicating results to decision-makers5.8Appraisals by AIReF and the European Court of Auditors5.9Strategic plans and appraisal5.10Case study: comparing light rail with bus rapid transit
6.1Defining the project and the base-case alternative6.2Estimating investment costs6.3Estimating operating costs6.4Demand forecast6.5Quantifying benefits6.6Calculating profitability indicators6.7Sensitivity and risks6.8Conclusions and recommendation6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Microsoft Excel, Palisade @RISK, PTV Visum, Expert Choice, Presto, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Real procedures are studied for estimating investment and operating costs, cost–benefit analysis of urban lines and multi-criteria comparison of transport alternatives. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final integrating project.
Standards covered: Delegated Regulation (EU) 480/2014; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/207; Guide to Cost-Benefit Analysis of Investment Projects; ISO 15686-5; EN 50126; Law 38/2015; Law 9/2017.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Microsoft Excel, Palisade @RISK, PTV Visum, Expert Choice and Presto, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer capable of running the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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