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.
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
Typical roles
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.
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
Analyse the technological evolution of the railway and its limits.
Understand the technical principles of the hyperloop and maglev.
Assess the maturity and viability of disruptive transport systems.
Identify the key technologies of Rail 4.0.
Evaluate the environmental and social impact of the new modes.
Interpret the applicable regulatory and certification framework.
Design an innovation roadmap for a mobility challenge.
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.
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
6 modules
1.1Technological milestones of the modern railway1.2High speed: from the Shinkansen to the AVE1.3Physical limits of wheel-on-rail1.4Mobility demand trends1.5European agenda: Green Deal and Europe's Rail1.6Industry 4.0 applied to the railway1.7Technology foresight and scenarios1.8Technology readiness (TRL scale)1.9Open innovation and railway start-ups1.10Case study: TRL analysis of five railway innovations
2.1Operating principle of the hyperloop2.2Aerodynamics in a low-pressure tube and the Kantrowitz limit2.3Passive and active magnetic levitation2.4Linear motor propulsion2.5Capsule design and passenger comfort2.6Infrastructure: tubes, pillars and stations2.7Safety, evacuation and depressurisation2.8Pilot projects and European test centres2.9CEN/CENELEC JTC 20 standardisation2.10Workshop: energy estimate of a hyperloop journey
3.1Electromagnetic versus electrodynamic maglev3.2Transrapid and the Shanghai Maglev3.3Japan's Chuo Shinkansen3.4Monorails and automated people movers3.5Autonomous trains and GoA4 automatic operation3.6Hydrogen and battery trains3.7Superconducting traction3.8Comparison of costs per kilometre3.9Territorial impact of the new systems3.10Practical exercise: technical comparison of maglev versus high speed
4.1ERTMS/ETCS Level 3 and moving block4.2FRMCS and 5G communications4.3Automatic train operation (ATO) over ETCS4.4Digital twins of the network4.5Artificial intelligence in traffic management4.6Predictive and prescriptive maintenance4.7Virtual coupling of trains4.8Digital automatic coupling (DAC) in freight4.9Cybersecurity of the future network4.10Lab: capacity scenario with virtual coupling
5.1Life-cycle carbon footprint5.2Circular economy in rolling stock and infrastructure5.3Economic viability of the new modes5.4Regulation and certification of disruptive systems5.5Social acceptance and risk perception5.6Integration with mobility as a service5.7Public innovation policies5.8Risks of a technology bubble5.9Lessons from cancelled projects5.10Case study: due diligence of a hyperloop proposal
6.1Choice of the mobility challenge6.2Technology watch and maturity status6.3Selection of the proposed solution6.4Preliminary technical sizing6.5Safety and certification analysis6.6Economic and environmental assessment6.7Development roadmap6.8Risk plan and alternatives6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
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.
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 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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