NURail

In 2012, the seven university consortium, including Michigan Tech, was awarded the first National University Rail Transportation Center (NURail) by the USDOT Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). The University of lllinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) leads the consortium.

The primary objective of the NURail Center is to improve and expand rail education, research, workforce development, and technology transfer in the U.S. The first round of NURail sponsored and co-sponsored projects have been progressing throughout academic year 2012-2013 and the first projects will be compled in late 2013 and early 2014. The grant has also supported various educational and student activities and projects, covered earlier in this report. read the press release...

In September, 2013 The U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has awarded a grant of $1.4 million to the National University Rail (NURail) Center, a multi-university rail transportation and engineering research center led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. read the press release...


Michigan Tech's Rail Transportation Program is one of seven members of a research university consortium that focuses on rail transportation. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) leads the consortium. Michigan Tech and UIUC are partnered with MIT, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. These seven form the National University Rail Center (NURail) which aims to develop rail related research, education, and technology transfer.