Current and former leaders from across Canada’s rail industry, including VIA Rail, TTC, GO Transit/Metrolinx, CN and CPKC, joined Engineering faculty and students from across disciplines on September 18 to mark the launch of three new graduate certificates in Railway Engineering.
Launched by the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, the certificates are believed to be the first of their kind in Canada, offering a graduate-level, stackable pathway dedicated to railway systems engineering.
For W Booth School Director Mike Justason, the launch represents an important milestone for the School and reflects years of collaboration between McMaster and the rail industry.
“The launch of these certificates is an exciting milestone for the W Booth School. Most of the credit belongs to Dr. Marjan Alavi, whose leadership and cooperation with industry partners brought these Graduate Certificates in Railway Engineering to life. We are also grateful to the senior railway leaders who joined our panel and demonstrated the strength of the connections with the W Booth School.”
Developed through nearly three years of collaboration with professionals across the railway sector, the certificates offer an accessible pathway for both new graduates and experienced engineers to build specialized expertise and contribute to the next generation of safe and sustainable rail systems in Canada.
“Canada’s railway and transit sector is entering a period of significant growth and transformation, creating a growing need for engineers who understand not only individual technologies, but how complex railway systems work together,” says Marjan Alavi, Program Lead of McMasters Master of Engineering Systems and Technology program and visionary behind the new certificates. “These certificates represent the W Booth School’s commitment to applied, industry-connected education that responds directly to those emerging needs.”
The launch of these certificates is an exciting milestone for the W Booth School. Most of the credit belongs to Dr. Marjan Alavi, whose leadership and cooperation with industry partners brought these Graduate Certificates in Railway Engineering to life.
The three certificates cover the major building blocks of a modern railway: Rail Infrastructure and Operations, Rail Electrification and Signaling and Railway Systems and Assurance. Each certificate can be taken on its own or stacked toward McMaster’s Master of Engineering in Systems and Technology, giving working professionals a flexible way to build toward a full graduate degree without stepping away from their careers.
For Alireza Edraki, Vice President, Howard Needles Tammen and Bergendoff, (HNTB) and a close collaborator in developing the certificates with Alavi, the need comes down to people, not just infrastructure.
“Across North America, substantial investment is being committed to modernizing and expanding rail and transit,” says Edraki. “Funding, hardware and software are essential, but people ultimately design, build, operate and maintain these systems. McMaster’s new certificates address these needs by helping develop the skilled professionals who will turn ambitious plans into safe, reliable service for decades to come.”
According to Edraki and Alavi, graduates of the program will be well positioned for roles as railway systems engineers, signal and train-control engineers, electrification engineers, track engineers, system assurance and safety specialists, systems integrators and rail project managers across transit agencies, freight and passenger railways, engineering firms and government.
The first cohort begins in January 2027, with registration now open.
Learn more about our new Graduate Academic Certificates in Railway Engineering on the W Booth School’s degree options page. Scroll down to “Certificates.”
Missed the event? Watch the opening remarks from Marjan Alavi and Alireza Edraki.
A full recording of the launch, featuring the industry panel, graduate perspectives and audience Q&A, will be available on the W Booth School website once finalized.