Filipp works at engineering consultancy company Sweco
Filipp Zarov graduated from the master's programme in Railway Engineering in 2021. He now works as a rail track designer in Stockholm.
In which company and with what are you working, at the moment?
Currently, I am employed at SWECO Sverige AB in the Rail Track Engineering department as a rail track designer. I also work in a project called DMRail, a collaboration between Alstom, RISE, Ekkono Solutions AB, Järnvägsklustret and KTH. It is about developing a predictive maintenance system for point machines in turnouts.
What can a regular day look like at your job?
A typical day at SWECO starts around eight in the morning and finishes around five in the afternoon, although this can be quite flexible.
A consultant in rail track design engages in meetings with customers and colleagues to tackle projects that are either about elements of rail track design. A rail track designer mainly uses software tailored to the planning of rail track infrastructure to create horizontal and vertical track geometry and 3D representations of the infrastructure and track elements, such as turnouts. A consultant must also know the national legislation regulating the rail track infrastructure design and planning. Finally, a consultant must occasionally attend educational programmes and courses created either by their company or the Swedish Transport Administration to deepen the knowledge about a technical field or to be able to conduct certain activities.
As a newly employed consultant, I have already participated in several projects regarding investigations in the change of rail track infrastructure and rail track design. A big part of the process is also constant education. Currently, I am attending courses to learn more about specialized software used in the process of rail track design and project management.
Why did you choose the Railway Engineering programme at KTH?
There were several reasons.
KTH offers an excellent level of education in various technical fields and topics. Furthermore, there is flexibility regarding the choice of courses in every programme, which allows you to tailor your educational profile and skills. Coupled with the international status and position of KTH and the opportunities you can find inside and outside the university in Sweden, KTH is a lucrative educational option.
The master's programme in Railway Engineering at KTH itself is unique globally since very few master's programmes focus on railways. Another crucial aspect was that it covered both the railway infrastructure and the railway vehicle, at the same time offering the possibility to students to choose additional courses inside KTH. This means that you can get a holistic knowledge of railway systems while selecting a specific area of interest: infrastructure or vehicle. A third advantage stemming from the programme is the cooperation with the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (UIUC). This adds more courses to the curriculum, enhances the infrastructure side of the programme, allows students to see practices implemented in the North American context, offers the opportunity for exchange studies and adds prestige and body of knowledge to the programme.
I was looking for a master's programme that would allow me to gain a more profound knowledge of railway systems, particularly from the infrastructure side, while keeping a holistic approach.
Are there any insights or knowledge you acquired during your studies that have been extra useful for you in your career?
Definitely! Courses that focused on railway systems helped me gain a solid understanding of the infrastructure, the railway vehicles and their interconnections. The courses in rail track engineering, railway terminal design, railway project design and railway signalling constitute the basis of my knowledge about railway infrastructure. They are proving valuable to my current position as a railway track designer.
What was the best aspects of your studies at KTH?
There were many; meeting with people from different backgrounds allowed for the exchange of knowledge which was very helpful for my development. Professors were generally friendly and knew their technical area of expertise well while helping you and answering your questions as best as possible. The infrastructure and the environment at KTH were very memorable. But most of all, the opportunity to put your knowledge into practice and gain some more via the master's degree project, while allowing yourself to establish valuable contacts for future employment and expand your professional network.
What is your best memory from your time at the universities?
It is my master's degree project. It taught me a lot in just six months; I learned a lot about the railway infrastructure and how to navigate through challenging situations. I also met new people, especially professors at KTH and UIUC, who made us wiser through their experiences and stories.
What would you want to say to a student thinking of applying for this programme?
To all students considering applying to this master's programme: you made the right decision. KTH and Stockholm is an ideal combination for your student life. The programme itself is a solid platform that you can use to advance as doctoral students or as professionals in the railway engineering field. However, consider the following:
- Vehicle or Infrastructure? : You have to make this choice early in the master's programme. This choice will help set your educational and career path and allow you to take the appropriate courses without wasting time and effort. If you are worried about losing the connection between infrastructure and vehicles, there are courses addressing this, which are also compulsory.
- Networking: Talk with people (professionals, professors or students), participate in events, ask questions, be curious and friendly. This can help you expand your network, which is extremely valuable for finding your first job, regardless of the market/country you are aiming at. Also, you can make some new friends along the way.
- Do the master's degree project at a company: You have the option to do the thesis either at KTH alone or in conjunction with a company from the railway sector: Trafikverket, Alstom, Sweco, Green Cargo, SJ and SL are just a few names from Sweden. You can also do it with a company outside of Sweden. This will provide great experience and traction to get a job in the industry or academia.
- Consider the exchange semester: For a semester, you will be a student at UIUC, which means that you have to finance it somehow. This might be trivial but important.
- Career paths: You may think you have only two choices: infrastructure or rail vehicles. In reality, you have many more options. Railway traffic planner, railway/rail vehicle maintenance, working with data science in the scope of railways are some of the choices you have if you take the appropriate courses. Of course, this also depends on your preferences and background.