Sponsored Conferences

The NURail Center sponsors conferences that promote the scope and focus of its objectives.

Joint Rail Conference (JRC) - JRC is the major, multidisciplinary North American railroad conference encompassing all aspects of rail transportation and engineering research. NURail consortium partners routinely send participants to this conference to both give and attend presentations. Click here for the link to the JRC 2016 - NURail Presentation Abstracts.

NURail faculty and students attending JRC 2013


International Crosstie and Fastening System Symposium – The primary objective of this symposium is to facilitate the transfer of technology and knowledge as well as to further domestic and international communication and collaboration on the design and performance challenges and solutions for crossties and fastening systems. This three day conference will have presentations, discussions, and a technical tour that focus on the state of the art in timber, concrete, steel, and composite crosstie and fastening system design, performance, research, modeling, and inspection. Click here for more information.

Railroad Environmental Conference (RREC)

This premiere annual conference is an excellent forum for exchange of information on current methods and practices employed by the Rail industry and their consultants to address current and on-going environmental issues, learn about new techniques and technologies, and generally stay in touch with the direction of the railroad industry’s environmental programs. Click here for more information.

Railway Engineering Education Symposium (REES) - The objective of this symposium is to further inform the professors about current research and development in railroad engineering education programs and give them materials to educate students about railway infrastructure, performance, engineering, and design at their respective universities.

To listen to Dr. Leslie McCarthy, Associate Professor with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Villanova University, talk about her experience with REES, click here.


2019 - Passenger REES (P-REES)

P.S. Sriraj (left), a NURail Center Partner from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Mark Walbrun (right), an Illinois alumnus, giving their presentation on Station Facility Design. The third biennial Passenger Railway Engineering Education Symposium (p-REES) was held on July 22-24, 2019.
Dave Clarke (left), a NURail Center Partner from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, and Riley Edwards (right), a NURail Center Partner from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, were two of six NURail Center affiliated instructors involved in this program held at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Headquarters in downtown Chicago, IL.

2018 - REES

REES marked its 10th anniversary with a conference on June 26 – 27, 2018 in Columbia, South Carolina with 32 industry and educational institution attendees. NURail Center Partner Tyler Dick was one of the presenters this year as well as at the original symposium in 2008.








         

2017 - Passenger REES (P-REES)

 

Over 25 participants attended APTA’s 2017 Passenger REES conference in Los Angeles, CA on July 10-12.
Tyler Dick, a NURail Center Partner from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, teaches one of his classes.

2016 - REES

NURail Center Director, Chris Barkan, welcomes attendees to REES 2016 held on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus.
Dave Clarke, a NURail Center Partner from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, giving his presentation on July 12.
2015 - Passenger REES (p-REES)

Conrad Ruppert, Jr. addresses the audience at the first p-REES hosted by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority.
Chris Barkan talks to more than 50 industry professionals and college and university professors during the three day event.
2014 - REES


Professors from around the country attended the Railway Engineering Education Symposium (REES) on June 23 – 25, 2014 in Overland Park, Kansas.

2012


Attendees of the 2012 Railway Engineering Education Symposium. The objective of the symposium was to further inform the professors of the workforce crisis and give them materials to educate students about railway infrastructure, performance, engineering, and design at their respective universities.


2014 Global Level Crossing Safety and Trespass Symposium -GLXS 2014 was the principal international conference bringing together engineering, safety, security, human factors, practitioners, academics and researchers from the global highway, rail, law enforcement, research and regulatory communities.

https://railtec.illinois.edu/events/historical-events/global-level-crossing-safety-and-trespass-prevention-symposium/

Listen to Reg Souleyrette as he discusses the emerging issues surrounding rail grade crossings.