The Canadian Rail Research Laboratory (CaRRL) is building the future of Canada's railway system. With 48,000 route kilometres of track, Canada has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world. Canadian railways face long winters and extreme climatic conditions including cold temperatures, strong winds, snow, ice, seasonal freeze and thaw cycle, and climate-induced geohazards. Such conditions, if not properly managed, can impact the safety of employees and the travelling public, as well as the overall efficiency of rail transportation.
Another pressing challenge facing the rail sector is that a high percentage of its skilled work force in the rail sector will be eligible for retirement within the next five to ten years. The need to attract high-calibre candidates and provide rail specific university training at the undergraduate and graduate level is greater than ever.
For Canada to continue to grow and prosper, it is critical that the transportation system evolve to become more innovative, more efficient and more resilient to our harsh and changing environment, supported by a skilled workforce. CaRRL is recruiting talented people to conduct graduate studies related to ground hazards and winter service reliability research. We encourage all interested candidates to contact CaRRL's Associate Director, Michael Hendry, PhD, at hendry@ualberta.ca.
