CourseCivil, Rail & Smart Cities Applications open

Future of Rail Course: Hyperloop and Rail 4.0

Online course of 300 hours in the future of rail: Hyperloop and Rail 4.0. 6 modules covering railway evolution, hyperloop, maglev and new guided systems, Rail 4.0 digitalisation and the sustainability and viability of new modes, with Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 (Europe's Rail), Regulation (EU) 2023/1695 CCS TSI and MATLAB/Simulink, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration3 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute certificate

Future of Rail Course: Hyperloop and Rail 4.0 — studying from Ireland

Ireland's civil engineering sector is driven by public infrastructure investment in roads, water, housing and public transport, alongside rail projects such as Dublin's light rail and commuter rail upgrades. Transport Infrastructure Ireland sets standards for national roads, while Irish Rail and Iarnród Éireann operate and develop the rail network. Smart city initiatives in Dublin and other urban areas create demand for engineers working on sensors, data platforms and integrated mobility systems. Typical employers include contractors, consultancies, local authorities and public agencies, with Engineers Ireland providing professional recognition.

Fees for Ireland: €644 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Ireland

  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
  • Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann)
  • Engineers Ireland
  • Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI)

Typical roles

  • Civil Engineer
  • Rail Systems Engineer
  • Transport Planning Engineer
  • Smart City Infrastructure Engineer

Questions from Ireland

Is a SEIUM qualification recognised for chartered civil or rail engineering status in Ireland?

Chartered engineer status in Ireland is administered by Engineers Ireland, which sets its own criteria for membership and registration. Rail is regulated in part by the National Transport Authority and Irish Rail-related bodies, while building and infrastructure standards involve other authorities. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so recognition is for those bodies and employers to decide.

Do Irish civil, rail and smart-city employers consider private online engineering study?

Irish infrastructure, consultancy and local authority employers usually weigh chartered status, project experience and relevant degrees heavily. A private online qualification may be considered as supporting evidence of skills, but its value is at each employer's discretion. We cannot promise any outcome, so discuss it with prospective employers.

Can I study alongside a site or office job, and is employer funding common?

The programme is online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Plan for 1,900 hours on a master's, 800 on a postgraduate diploma or 300 on a specialist course. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Many Irish employers have continuing professional development budgets, so ask yours.

Virtual lab · try it before you enrol

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse the technological evolution of the railway and its limits.

02

Understand the technical principles of the hyperloop and maglev.

03

Assess the maturity and viability of disruptive transport systems.

04

Identify the key technologies of Rail 4.0.

05

Evaluate the environmental and social impact of the new modes.

06

Interpret the applicable regulatory and certification framework.

07

Design an innovation roadmap for a mobility challenge.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Railway innovation engineers looking to master hyperloop, maglev and Rail 4.0 technologies.
  • Technology foresight analysts working on the future of transport.
  • New mobility consultants advising on disruptive guided systems.
  • Transport R&D project managers evaluating emerging technologies.
  • Railway digital transformation technicians.
  • Transport policy advisers.
  • Engineering or science graduates seeking to join infrastructure managers.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • Regulation (EU) 2021/2085 (establishing the Joint Undertakings, Europe's Rail)
  • Regulation (EU) 2023/1695 (TSI for control-command and signalling)
  • Directive (EU) 2016/797 (interoperability of the rail system)
  • EN 62290 (urban guided transport management and command/control systems)
  • EN 50126 (railway applications: specification and demonstration of RAMS)
  • ISO 16290 (technology readiness levels, TRL)
  • CLC/TS 50701:2023 (railway applications: cybersecurity)
  • MATLAB/Simulink
  • ANSYS Fluent
  • OpenTrack
  • AnyLogic
Syllabus

6 modules

  1. 1.1Technological milestones of the modern railway
  2. 1.2High speed: from the Shinkansen to the AVE
  3. 1.3Physical limits of wheel-on-rail
  4. 1.4Mobility demand trends
  5. 1.5European agenda: Green Deal and Europe's Rail
  6. 1.6Industry 4.0 applied to the railway
  7. 1.7Technology foresight and scenarios
  8. 1.8Technology readiness (TRL scale)
  9. 1.9Open innovation and railway start-ups
  10. 1.10Case study: TRL analysis of five railway innovations
  1. 2.1Operating principle of the hyperloop
  2. 2.2Aerodynamics in a low-pressure tube and the Kantrowitz limit
  3. 2.3Passive and active magnetic levitation
  4. 2.4Linear motor propulsion
  5. 2.5Capsule design and passenger comfort
  6. 2.6Infrastructure: tubes, pillars and stations
  7. 2.7Safety, evacuation and depressurisation
  8. 2.8Pilot projects and European test centres
  9. 2.9CEN/CENELEC JTC 20 standardisation
  10. 2.10Workshop: energy estimate of a hyperloop journey
  1. 3.1Electromagnetic versus electrodynamic maglev
  2. 3.2Transrapid and the Shanghai Maglev
  3. 3.3Japan's Chuo Shinkansen
  4. 3.4Monorails and automated people movers
  5. 3.5Autonomous trains and GoA4 automatic operation
  6. 3.6Hydrogen and battery trains
  7. 3.7Superconducting traction
  8. 3.8Comparison of costs per kilometre
  9. 3.9Territorial impact of the new systems
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: technical comparison of maglev versus high speed
  1. 4.1ERTMS/ETCS Level 3 and moving block
  2. 4.2FRMCS and 5G communications
  3. 4.3Automatic train operation (ATO) over ETCS
  4. 4.4Digital twins of the network
  5. 4.5Artificial intelligence in traffic management
  6. 4.6Predictive and prescriptive maintenance
  7. 4.7Virtual coupling of trains
  8. 4.8Digital automatic coupling (DAC) in freight
  9. 4.9Cybersecurity of the future network
  10. 4.10Lab: capacity scenario with virtual coupling
  1. 5.1Life-cycle carbon footprint
  2. 5.2Circular economy in rolling stock and infrastructure
  3. 5.3Economic viability of the new modes
  4. 5.4Regulation and certification of disruptive systems
  5. 5.5Social acceptance and risk perception
  6. 5.6Integration with mobility as a service
  7. 5.7Public innovation policies
  8. 5.8Risks of a technology bubble
  9. 5.9Lessons from cancelled projects
  10. 5.10Case study: due diligence of a hyperloop proposal
  1. 6.1Choice of the mobility challenge
  2. 6.2Technology watch and maturity status
  3. 6.3Selection of the proposed solution
  4. 6.4Preliminary technical sizing
  5. 6.5Safety and certification analysis
  6. 6.6Economic and environmental assessment
  7. 6.7Development roadmap
  8. 6.8Risk plan and alternatives
  9. 6.9Report and presentation
  10. 6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS Fluent, OpenTrack and AnyLogic, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied on real procedures for assessing the technology readiness of innovations, energy estimates of transport systems and viability analyses of disruptive projects. Assessment is continuous per module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, Regulation (EU) 2023/1695, Directive (EU) 2016/797, EN 62290, EN 50126, ISO 16290, CLC/TS 50701:2023.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of Regulation (EU) 2021/2085, Regulation (EU) 2023/1695 and Directive (EU) 2016/797 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS Fluent, OpenTrack and AnyLogic, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:a railway innovation project for a real mobility challenge, from technology watch to development roadmap, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Choose the mobility challenge
Define the mobility challenge and map the state of maturity of candidate technologies through technology watch.
Select the solution
Select the proposed solution and carry out its preliminary technical sizing.
Safety and certification
Analyse the safety and certification requirements applicable to the proposed system.
Economic and environmental assessment
Assess the economic viability and environmental impact, and draw up the development roadmap and risk plan.
Final project
Present the report and roadmap of your railway innovation project, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Railway innovation engineerTechnology foresight analystNew mobility consultantTransport R&D project managerRailway digital transformation technicianTransport policy adviser
Admissions & scholarships

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.

FAQ

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 MATLAB/Simulink, ANSYS Fluent, OpenTrack and AnyLogic, 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 able to run 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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