BEng (Hons) Rail and Rail Systems Senior Engineer Apprenticeship (Signalling and Control)

All modules are compulsory, and most modules attract 20 credits, except for the individual BEng project which along with the integrated End Point Assessment attracts 60 credits.

Year 1

• Mathematics for engineering
  This module consolidates the mathematical skills that underpin the BEng engineering degrees. It is specifically designed to cater for the wide differences in mathematical background of 1st year London South Bank Engineering students, as well as to prepare students for the Advanced Engineering Mathematics and Modelling module taken in the 2nd year.  Additionally, it aims to introduce students to the Matlab computing environment.
• Principles of electrical engineering
  This module is developed to provide students the knowledge of analysing DC and AC electrical circuits. It provides necessary underpinning knowledge for students on the Rail and Rail Systems engineering courses to allow them to acquire further deeper understanding of more complex concepts in the various pathways.
• Analogue and digital electronics
  This module develops advanced techniques in analogue electronic design covering discrete bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and op-amp related circuitry design, simulation, prototyping and testing. The module also covers the fundamental theory for the design of and the practical uses of digital electronics in the two design domains of combinational logic design and sequential logic design. The module studies hardware devices to build circuits for digital logic designs and tools to support the design and analysis of those circuits; these include standard logic gates and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).
• Programming for engineers
  This module introduces the syntaxes and semantics of programming language C++ and teaches students the intellectual knowledge in programming principles and programming skills with Object Oriented Programming (OOP) techniques. The practical skills include C++ program design with OOP and the use of the compiling tools for editing, compiling, linking and executing programs in workshops. After learning this module, students can pursue other software engineering and advanced programming courses and use OOP techniques to solve simple engineering problems.

Year 2

• Rail industry professional practice
  The module introduces professional working practice in the rail industry. It will examine rail specific legislation and regulation and the resulting safe and professional working practices. Regulations such as the Common Safety Method Risk Assessment will be introduced. The structure and operations of the rail industry shall be explored as well as industry procedures about safety and quality requirements. The module will also look at risk management and environmental impact of rail construction work and rail equipment. Finally, the module will expose students to corporate policies like sustainability, ethics, equality and diversity and discuss the need to be in compliance to those policies, as well as the ways in which to constructively challenge non-compliance.
• Rail project and asset management
  The module introduces the asset and project management of railway systems. It gives an introduction of the project key challenges in the management of railway projects standing out from other projects, network rail GRIP process, TfL pathway process, and different aspects of management.  Preventive and condition-based maintenance will be introduced, which provides informed decision making to minimize the life-cycle-cost of the assets.  State-of-the-art advancements in IoT, data analytics, and digitalization will be discussed as important tools for asset management.    .
• Advanced engineering mathematics
  This module covers undergraduate advanced engineering mathematics to enable students to consider and model a variety of relevant engineering problems (e.g. electrical, mechanical, petroleum, chemical, computer, civil).
• Rail systems engineering
  The module introduces methods to model circuits, signals and systems required for the electrical, electronic, telecommunication and control systems. It shows how to analyse complex signals with Fourier series, Fourier transforms and Laplace Transforms.

Year 3

• Rail electrical systems and operation
  This level 5 module will enable students to develop an understanding of the electrical technology and systems that go into the Rail infrastructure. It covers material about the electrical services that form part of an integrated Railway system be it supply to Track (HV DC), signalling equipment on the track side and other ancillary services that either feed off the track supply or from a dedicated DNO supply point. Student will become familiar with final circuit design, plant sizing, related standards, etc. It also covers topics such as Earthing (IT systems) and Earth less DC systems as applied to the design of services to the Rail industry.
• Rail signalling interface
  This module enables students on the Signalling and Control pathway and the Track Engineering pathway to understand the behaviour of crucial elements of interface between remote, on board and track side equipment, to enable a broader integrated systems understanding.
• Rail standards and specifications
  This module examines the Regulations and Regulatory frameworks within which Safety-critical industries such as the Rail industry operate.  It examines the importance of Legislation, Standards and Directives in ensuring the safety of workers in the industry, and members of the public, with an examination of the role of regulatory authorities (e.g. ORR). An important part of ensuring safety is translating high level requirements into specific procedures to be followed by staff working directly on equipment, as well as the need to ensure the design of such equipment takes all regulations and regulatory requirements into account as well as technical ones.
• Rail engineering team design project
  This is a skills-based module developing students' understanding of the design process within Rail engineering, including factors that need to be taken into account in identifying and meeting requirements for new products*, i.e. outcomes of processes; working within Regulatory, professional and Standards requirements; developing practical skills; working as part of a team; handling information; project planning and management; and report-writing and presentation skills.

Year 4

• Control engineering
  The module builds on the level 5 module “Rail Systems Engineering”. It introduces system models in state-space form and corresponding control techniques. The module further introduces the concept of discretisation of signals and systems. It shows how to analyse discrete signals and systems using z-transforms, and how to assess system stability using the z-transform domain. The concepts of z-transfer function difference equation as representations of system dynamics in the frequency domain and time-domain are introduced. State-space system models and controls are visited in the context of discrete systems. The module further introduces digital PID control.
• Advanced signalling and control - digital railway
  The module introduces determination of discrete system models using system identification techniques and further introduces the concept of adaptation and adaptive control. Self-tuning adaptive control is introduced and in this context a range of control designs, such as servo-control, regulators and combined servo and regulation control are described, and corresponding self-tuning control algorithms derived. Real-time implementation issues and requirements are also explained. The module further introduces model-reference adaptive control and designs in the continuous-time domain.
• Research methods
  The module provides students with the ability to understand the key aspects of research methods. It enables students to discuss, evaluate and use a variety of research methods and techniques for their chosen subject area of Computer Science and Informatics and to develop a professional and ethical approach to carrying out research-based projects. It also equips students with entrepreneurial and innovation skills increasingly sought by industry and employers..
• Data analytics
  This module provides a broad introduction to the basic theory, concepts, and techniques of data mining, and its role in business and scientific research. It will cover the main topics in the area. The focus of the practical aspect of this module is to develop hands-on experience and skills in solving real-world data mining problems. SAS® Enterprise Miner and SAS® Enterprise Guide will be taught and used throughout module for practical data mining projects. Simple Python scripts for data manipulation will be discussed and used.
• BEng rail systems engineering project
  The individual major project requires students to plan, execute, review and report upon a major piece of technical work directly related to their degree discipline. In this regard, it provides students with the opportunity to develop a high degree of subject specific expertise.

This course is only offered as an apprenticeship course to learners who are currently in employment in the Rail industry with an employer such as Network Rail, or any other Rail industry related employer.

The content of this course was developed to meet the L6 equivalent requirements for the core knowledge and skills required for the Rail and Rail Systems Senior Engineer apprenticeship standard and differs very much from a standard undergraduate degree.

Learners will be aiming to work as a Junior/Senior Engineer in the railway industry.

Learners are already in employment within the Railway industry.

This is a Level 6 UG course and students can wish to progress to a suitable MSc course in the relevant area.

Employability Service

By completing the apprenticeship route, you’ll have the advantage of having real-world work experience, working in a role related to your area of study. This will give you a competitive edge among other graduates when you complete your apprenticeship standard.

During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, who can help you develop your skills through the Careers Gym workshops and presentations. Our JobShop advisers support students and graduates with finding the right job for them.

We are University of the Year for Graduate Employment - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018.

The course is taught using a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, computing and laboratory workshops. Students will also be undertaking group work and will do presentations as part of the course work requirements on some of the modules that form part of the course.

The course is assessed using a combination of course work assessments such as logbooks, formal reports, open and closed book examinations, laboratory and computing workshop tests.

The break down between course work and end of module exam weights vary across the modules and levels of the program, typically varying form 100% course work on certain modules, 50% course work and 50% examination on a handful of modules through to 30% course work and 70 end of module examination.

Each student on the course is allocated a personal tutor in the first week of the first year (usually the course director) on the course as part of Personal Development Plan (PDP).

To be considered for entry to the first year of this course applicants will be required to have the following qualifications:

Part-time students

• L3 Network Rail  or equivalent Rail apprenticeship; L4 students will be considered for an advanced entry with benefit of few exemptions to modules already covered and similar in nature and content.
• A Level BBB including Mathematics and/or Physical Sciences (120 UCAS points) or;
• BTEC National Diploma DDM, including Level 3 Mathematics and Physical Sciences (128 UCAS points) or;
• EAL Technical Extended Diploma in Engineering Technologies, D, including: Further Engineering Mathematics; Electrical and Electronic Engineering Principles; and other options relevant to Electrical and Electronic Engineering or;
• Access to HE qualifications with 24 Distinctions and 21 Merits, with at least half the course in Mathematics and Physical Science subjects (122 UCAS points) or;
• Equivalent level 3 qualifications worth 120 UCAS points and including Mathematics and Physical Sciences
• Applicants must hold 5 GCSEs A-C including Maths and English or equivalent (reformed GCSEs grade 4 or above) or;
• We welcome qualifications from around the world. English language qualifications for international students: IELTS score of 6.0 or Cambridge Proficiency or Advanced Grade C, and a Mathematics qualification equivalent to reformed GCSE grade 4 or above, as assessed by UK NARIC.

Recognition of Prior Learning/Transfer Credit

Applicants may exceptionally be considered for entry to the second year of the course with the following qualifications.  Applicants will normally be interviewed and may be required to sit a Mathematics test to ensure their preparedness for direct entry.

In addition to the academic suitability, apprentices will also be assessed through a formal interview by the course director to establish that they have adequate work experience to support an advanced entry and that their related work experience can be documented through OneFile towards consideration for their e-portfolio/end point assessment. This will usually be in agreement with the employer so that the apprentice is supported fully.

Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL)

RPEL may be considered in determining the entry requirements for candidates with relevant work experience but cannot replace the requirement for formal qualifications in Mathematics.

Funding

The cost of the apprenticeship is paid fully by the employer (sometimes part funded by the government) through apprenticeship levy. The apprenticeship levy is a pot of money some companies pay into, which all businesses have access to spend on the training costs of apprenticeships. Companies fall into two categories: levy-payers (who pay into the pot) and non-levy payers (who do not). You can find out more in our Levy and Funding section, specifically for employers

The apprentice does not contribute toward the cost of study.

Bands

Apprenticeship standards are all assigned a funding band by the Government – these funding bands are the maximum amount the Government will fund via the levy towards a given apprenticeship standard. There are currently 30 funding bands ranging from £1,000 to £27,000.

Incentives

Employers with less than 50 staff sending an apprentice aged 16-18 will have 100% of the training costs paid by the government. All employers who employ an apprentice aged 16-18 on the first day of teaching will receive a £1,000 incentive from the government. You can find out more in our Levy and Funding section, specifically for employers.

Cost

You can find out the funding band for an Apprenticeship Standard on the Government website. To find out how much we are charging, please get in touch with us at apprenticeships@lsbu.ac.uk

Field trips

Some modules include field with and site visits, which may be residential or outside the United Kingdom, ranging from three to five days. These are organised by the Division and students   are required to contribute towards the cost.  If there are any field trips or any course visits as part of your course, we will let you know in good time.