What is the role of a transportation engineer
The scope of the UK's roads and highways, as well as public transport is impressive in size and diversity, therefore transport engineers are needed both in the city and the country. Transportation engineering is the application of technology and scientific principles to the planning, functional design, operation and management of facilities for any mode of transportation in order to provide the safe, comfortable, economical and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods. It is a sub-discipline of civil engineering.
Engineers can specialise in highway engineering, railroad engineering, port and harbour engineering or airport engineering, and plan and design anything from highways to ports and airports. Projects in the UK include highway tunnel schemes, motorway extension and widening, real time passenger information systems, highway lighting and traffic signal schemes, road user pricing projects and lane rental projects. The role can be divided between creation, maintenance and development disciplines, so duties could include building a new train or investigating how to create more efficient engines.
Transportation planning is a significant part of transport engineering and has gained a much higher profile in recent years. The role focuses on offering engineering solutions to transport issues. As infrastructures develop and grow, prospects remain good for transportation engineers.