Ontario Tech University and Hitachi Rail Sign Agreement for New Railway Engineering Program

Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and Hitachi Rail have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support a new Railway Engineering Specialization program, according to a university statement. The agreement was signed in Toronto on August 26, 2025.

The specialization, which is described by Ontario Tech University as the first undergraduate railway engineering program of its kind in Canada, will be offered beginning in September 2025. The program is open to third- and fourth-year students enrolled in Manufacturing, Automotive, Mechatronics, or Mechanical Engineering studies.

The curriculum will cover areas including railway infrastructure development, track design, signalling systems, and rolling stock management, according to the university’s announcement. Hitachi Rail’s involvement includes providing student placements, collaborating on research and development, supporting course content review, and participating in guest speaking engagements from rail industry experts.

Ontario Tech named Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, and Ziad Rizk, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Canada, as the signatories to the agreement. Dr. Kishawy stated that Ontario Tech is home to Canada’s only English-language undergraduate railway engineering specialization.

Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, said the new program will support workforce needs related to transit expansion projects, including the GO Transit Bowmanville Extension, which is intended to improve access to Ontario Tech University’s campus in Oshawa. Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, stated that the partnership between Ontario Tech and Hitachi Rail will enable students to receive both education and hands-on training relevant to railway engineering.