Hello,

Generally speaking the answer is yes, people do sometimes get job offers, but there are no guarantees. The academic qualifications received from these courses are more than sufficient to get a job offer – the problem is getting a visa. This depends on where you are from and whether you have existing work rights. If you need a sponsored visa, this is often quite difficult and people often need PhDs to get an offer. These issues are quite specific to your particular situation so it is difficult to give you a generic answer.

That’s a pretty generic question. The short answer is: good :). I haven’t met anyone who couldn’t get a job somewhere in the railway industry after completing this course. However this is all dependant on your experience, skills, prior education, etc. I don’t really have enough information about your background to say anything more substantial than this. If you could tell me more about yourself and your plans I could probably provide a better answer.

In a roundabout way pretty much everything is related to sustainability, therefore it is very difficult to answer this question. There can be a lot of options to improve the sustainability of traction systems, ranging from alternative power sources through more efficient transmissions, but operational measures (better timetabling) can often have a very considerable impact as well. There are some modules in the course that cover these topics, but you would have to draw your own conclusions and develop the best solution to the particular problem. Sustainability is a complex topic.

There are particular research initiatives at the university, such as the fuel cell powered locomotive, that you could also engage in.

Hello,

Although when I was studying RRSM had not existed yet, I would think RSEI is better suited. Railway Economics and Technology Management gives a good understanding of the economical concepts and Strategic Management of Railway Operations helps you understand operational considerations. These two I would say are fairly essential for this kind of work. However to fully understand the business case for a railway project, I think all of the modules would be recommended.

Hope that answers your question,

Zoltan

Hello,

It would help if you could clarify where you are from and where exactly are you looking for job opportunities. If you are a non-EU citizen, it is difficult to get a company to sponsor you with an MSc and 2 years experience in Britain. Given the current political climate I don’t think the situation will get any better for 3rd countries and will certainly get worse for EU citizens. I wish I could say something more reassuring, but this is the reality. Some people stay for a PhD that helps their employment prospects somewhat. As someone who has greatly benefited professionally from free movement, I hate to give advice like this, but if you are thinking about staying for work after graduation, it may be in your best interest to consider a country that is more open to that…. The course itself prepares you very well for an international career in railways, but the current immigration framework in the UK pays very little attention (actively discourages it to be more precise) to retaining international talent (that I think is a fundamental asset to any economy). I know very few people, perhaps 5% of the students who finished this course and managed to secure a job in the UK as a non-EU citizen.

Hi, during the weeks when you have a taught module, the schedule is pretty exhausting. However, you should keep in mind that:

You will not have to do much studying, most of your time will be spent on your team exercise.

You don’t have any homework as such.

You will have to do very little preparation for the exam as most of the information will still be fresh.

The actual ‘work’ begins after the module when you have to prepare your minor and major assignments.

That being said, during your module weeks, you will have very little time for anything else apart form your studies. You will ‘only’ have 8 such weeks though. It is a challenging course, but it is worth it.

Incidentally, I am in Kuala Lumpur next week, so if you want to have some further information over a coffee or something, let me know. My e-mail is zddazoli@gmail.com.

Kind regards,

Zoltan

Hello,

I attended this course about 5 years ago so things may have moved on a bit since. When I was there, we used to have an attendance of about 40-50 people. Half of these used to be full-time students and the other half part-timers.

Kind regards,

Zoltan

Hi,

It’s not something I can provide you a lot of advice on via this platform. Most students tend to go for house shares around the university campus, but generally a large area is within sensible commuting distance via train or bicycle. For house shares I would suggest visiting gumtree.co.uk or spareroom.co.uk. But again it’s all to do with your budget, preferences for household, commuting distance etc. I personally spent a few weeks with friends in Birmingham before I sorted out my permanent accommodation.

Cheers,
Zoltan