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Railway Themed K-12 Distance Learning Activities

This website presents the results of an FRA project to develop and document new rail-themed K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) distance learning activities

Railway-Themed K-12 STEM Distance Learning Activities

The activities in this course will help raise K-12 student awareness of railway transportation careers, provide another avenue for reaching students from underrepresented groups, and help secure a diverse future railroad workforce.

Tracks to the Future 2024

Welcome to the Tracks to the Future program in Railroad Engineering, a summer program for students entering grades 9-12. This site is developed for faculty/teachers interested in learning more about the curricula, or potentially even use some of the materials/activities in their classroom. Students can also explore the materials, although we highly encourage those eligible for participating in the Tracks to the Future to visit our web site and look for the next time it's being offered. The modules 1-6 provide a great majority of the educational materials covered during the program. Modules 1-4 were completed as a synchronous session via Zoom and Canvas platforms, while Modules 5-6 were on-campus activities conducted in laboratory environment. We have tried to provide the materials

Enjoy the ride on the Tracks to the Future!! If you have further questions on the program, please visit our web site or email rail@mtu.edu


Railroads, the high tech and environmentally sensitive transportation mode!  Don’t believe us?  This course will help you learn why railroads remain the most energy-efficient transportation mode and what forms modern railroad track, equipment, and communications/control systems might take.  Learn how rail compares with other modes and leads the charge in reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions!  Find out how it all works: classroom/virtual sessions, hands-on activities, and plenty of field visits to all sorts of railroad facilities!  See below for description of traditional (on-campus) and hybrid program options.

RCVW Technical Details

This module describes technical details of the RCVW system.

The RCVW project supports strategic objective FRA-IRS-002, Connected Vehicle Technology Demonstrations.

The main objective is to promote the technology transfer of the Rail Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW) system. The project team will plan, promote, and execute a comprehensive demonstration of the RCVW system through strategic field and virtual demonstrations that showcase the potential safety benefits of the connected vehicle technology for engagement of rail and highway industry stakeholders.

Closeup image of the Rail Crossing Violation Warning system components

John's Sandbox

A Sandbox for John Velat

Tracks to the Future

Welcome to the Tracks to the Future program in Railroad Engineering, a summer program for students entering grades 9-12. This site is developed for faculty/teachers interested in learning more about the curricula, or potentially even use some of the materials/activities in their classroom. Students can also explore the materials, although we highly encourage those eligible for participating in the Tracks to the Future to visit our web site and look for the next time it's being offered. The modules 1-6 provide a great majority of the educational materials covered during the program. Modules 1-4 were completed as a synchronous session via Zoom and Canvas platforms, while Modules 5-6 were on-campus activities conducted in laboratory environment. We have tried to provide the materials

Enjoy the ride on the Tracks to the Future!! If you have further questions on the program, please visit our web site or email rail@mtu.edu


Railroads, the high tech and environmentally sensitive transportation mode!  Don’t believe us?  This course will help you learn why railroads remain the most energy-efficient transportation mode and what forms modern railroad track, equipment, and communications/control systems might take.  Learn how rail compares with other modes and leads the charge in reducing transportation greenhouse gas emissions!  Find out how it all works: classroom/virtual sessions, hands-on activities, and plenty of field visits to all sorts of railroad facilities!  See below for description of traditional (on-campus) and hybrid program options.

Railroad Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW) Application Demonstrations with Connected Vehicles

This module introduces the Railroad Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW) project.

The RCVW project supports strategic objective FRA-IRS-002, Connected Vehicle Technology Demonstrations.

The main objective is to promote the technology transfer of the Rail Crossing Violation Warning (RCVW) system. The project team will plan, promote, and execute a comprehensive demonstration of the RCVW system through strategic field and virtual demonstrations that showcase the potential safety benefits of the connected vehicle technology for engagement of rail and highway industry stakeholders.

RCVW Warnings  RVCW Warning triggered by vehicle in crossing  The states of the warning system when a vehicle stops on the track, but a train is not present.