Rail Transportation Engineering System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rail Transportation Engineering System - Essay Example Engineering Systems like the rail transportation system analyzed in this report, are characterized by a high level of technical complexity, social intricacy, and elaborate processes that are aimed at fulfilling important functions in the society. Usually, various disciplines are required for input into developing solutions for Engineering Systems, and adopting a systems approach is quite beneficial. The aim of this analysis is to identify the key elements of the rail transportation system and the interactions involved in operating such a system. This rail transportation system was selected for this report because rail transport is an emerging field of engineering and transport that seeks to provide solutions for some important socio-technical problems in society. There have been numerous studies in the past, carried out with the aim of investigating the individual aspects of socio-technical problems in order to find solutions to these problems. Some of these studies went to great lengths to isolate the smaller pieces of the bigger problem. (Sterman, 2000) Although Engineering Systems seek to expand perspectives form smaller pieces to a bigger picture, the bigger picture should be viewed as a system, with interactions explored within the system. Rail transportation systems can be classified as engineering systems because rail transportation involves a high degree of technical complexity and elaborate processes with the goal of fulfilling the function of cost-efficient transportation of goods and personnel in the society. The key elements of the rail transportation system include environmental friendliness, speed, low energy consumption, high safety standards and limited land usage. Rail transportation also makes use of its own transportation lines and is relatively free from time wastage as a result of traffic jams and hold-ups. (Ellis, 1986).