Master’s in Rail Policy, Regulation & Concessions Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in railway policy, regulation and concessions engineering. 12 modules covering rail sector organisation, the EU railway packages, track access and charges, high-speed liberalisation, public service obligations, interoperability and safety, concessions and PPPs, planning and financing, rail freight and economic regulation, with 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
Analyse the organisation of the railway sector and its liberalisation.
Apply the European railway packages and Spanish legislation.
Calculate track access charges and manage capacity allocation.
Design public service obligation contracts.
Evaluate concessions and public-private partnership schemes.
Carry out cost-benefit analyses of railway projects.
Propose policies for the sustainability and competitiveness of rail.
Who it's for
- Railway regulation analysts at regulators and operators.
- Concession managers overseeing rail and tram contracts.
- Capacity planners at infrastructure managers.
- Transport policy consultants.
- Railway institutional relations managers.
- Safety authorisation officers dealing with vehicles and certificates.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into the railway sector.
What you'll work with
- Directive 2012/34/EU (single European railway area)
- Law 38/2015 (Spanish Railway Sector Act)
- Regulation (EC) 1370/2007 (public passenger transport services)
- Directive (EU) 2016/797 (railway interoperability)
- Directive (EU) 2016/798 (railway safety)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/782 (rail passengers' rights)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 (TEN-T guidelines)
- Regulation (EU) 913/2010 (rail freight corridors)
- OpenTrack
- RailSys
- PTV Visum
- QGIS
- Microsoft Excel
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Rail liberalisation in Europe1.2The separation of ADIF and Renfe1.3Infrastructure managers1.4Railway undertakings and licences1.5Passenger and freight markets1.6Public and commercial services1.7European organisational models1.8Law 38/2015 on the Railway Sector1.9Governance of the railway system1.10Case study: comparison of European railway models
2.1Directive 2012/34/EU establishing a single European railway area2.2The technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package2.3The market pillar of the Fourth Railway Package2.4The European Union Agency for Railways2.5Regulation (EU) 2016/7962.6Freight corridors under Regulation 913/20102.7The TEN-T trans-European network2.8Rail passengers' rights2.9Rail market monitoring2.10Workshop: analysis of a railway transposition
3.1The network statement3.2Capacity allocation3.3Direct-cost charges and mark-ups3.4Framework capacity agreements3.5Coordination of conflicting requests3.6Supervision by the CNMC3.7Performance incentive schemes3.8Capacity at congested nodes3.9The capacity redistribution regulation3.10Practical exercise: calculating track access charges for a service
4.1The market opening process in Spain4.2New high-speed operators4.3Effects on prices and demand4.4Competition in the market4.5Capacity allocation on corridors4.6Availability of rolling stock4.7The Italian liberalisation experience4.8Evaluating liberalisation4.9Residual barriers to entry4.10Case study: impact of competition on a corridor
5.1Regulation (EC) 1370/20075.2Regulation (EU) 2016/23385.3Direct award versus competitive tendering5.4Compensation and the regulation's annex5.5State public service contracts5.6Commuter rail (Cercanías) services5.7Transfers to the autonomous communities5.8Evaluating service efficiency5.9Contractual quality indicators5.10Workshop: designing a public service contract
6.1Interoperability Directive (EU) 2016/7976.2Technical specifications for interoperability6.3Vehicle authorisation6.4Safety Directive (EU) 2016/7986.5The single safety certificate6.6Common safety methods6.7ERTMS deployment6.8The State Railway Safety Agency6.9Railway accident investigation6.10Practical exercise: the authorisation process for a train
7.1Railway concession models7.2Lessons from the Perpignan-Figueres concession7.3Concessioned tramways and light metros7.4Infrastructure maintenance contracts7.5Rolling stock on an availability basis7.6Risk allocation7.7Value for money in rail7.8Economic rebalancing of the concession7.9Lessons from failed concessions7.10Case study: analysis of a tramway concession
8.1The Rail Indicative Strategy8.2Socio-economic appraisal of projects8.3The European Commission cost-benefit analysis guide8.4Connecting Europe Facility funds8.5Budgets and investment programming8.6Social fares and discounts8.7Financing maintenance8.8Infrastructure manager debt8.9Prioritising investments8.10Lab: cost-benefit analysis of a line bypass
9.1Modal share of freight9.2Rolling motorway services9.3Intermodal terminals and their management9.4Rail logistics operators9.5Aid for freight transport9.6Rail access to ports9.7Iberian gauge and gauge changing9.8750-metre trains9.9Competition with road haulage9.10Case study: plan for a rolling motorway
10.1The CNMC's railway functions10.2Market supervision10.3Preventing discrimination10.4Accounting separation of activities10.5State aid in rail10.6Service facilities and Regulation 2017/217710.7Ticketing and distribution10.8Dispute resolution10.9Market indicators10.10Practical exercise: resolving an access dispute
11.1Decarbonising rail11.2Hydrogen and battery trains11.3Railway noise and its regulation11.4Accessibility for persons with reduced mobility11.5Digitalisation and automation11.6The European high-speed rail plan11.7International night trains11.8Climate resilience of infrastructure11.9The European single ticket11.10Workshop: policy proposal for night trains
12.1Selecting the railway case study12.2Diagnosis of the regulatory framework12.3Market and competition analysis12.4Economic and financial evaluation12.5Contractual or concession design12.6Risk sharing between the administration and the operator12.7Policy or regulatory proposal12.8Conclusions and recommendations12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Delivered 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so you can combine the programme with your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original legislation and applied exercises. You work with OpenTrack, RailSys, PTV Visum, QGIS and Microsoft Excel in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures: calculating railway charges, cost-benefit analysis of a rail project and designing a public service contract. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Directive 2012/34/EU, Law 38/2015, Regulation (EC) 1370/2007, Directive (EU) 2016/797, Directive (EU) 2016/798, Regulation (EU) 2021/782, Regulation (EU) 2024/1679, Regulation (EU) 913/2010.
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
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent proven professional experience.
- 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 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with OpenTrack, RailSys, PTV Visum, QGIS and Microsoft Excel, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. 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 in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a suitable computer 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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