Grade Crossing AI Monitoring Setup
The Rutgers Rail and Transit Program set up its patented grade crossing AI monitoring technology in Freehold, NJ. Great work, team!
News & Events
Stay updated with our latest findings, seminars, and academic awards.
June 23, 2026
Metro-North Railroad Innovation Expo
Members of the Rutgers Rail and Transit Program attended the Metro-North Railroad Innovation Expo. The team, including Asim Zaman, Mulin Wan, John Ng, Weitian Li, and Eden Pajaro, presented ongoing research on Grade Crossing AI Systems. Thank you Metro-North Railroad for the opportunity!
June 11, 2026
PhD/MS Student Openings - Rail AI and Transportation Analytics
The Rutgers University Rail and Transit Program is seeking highly motivated PhD and MS students for Fall 2026 and throughout 2027. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until all positions are filled. We welcome applicants with backgrounds in Rail and Transit Systems, Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, and related fields.
May 26, 2026
INNOVARail 2026 Conference
Dr. Liu, Mulin, and John attended INNOVARail 2026 Conference in Champaign, Illinois from May 26th to 28th. John and Mulin presented their research separately.
April 2026
Junyan Dai Lab Visit
Former graduate student Junyan Dai, currently at Google, visited the lab.
Spring 2026
Stephen Gardner Guest Lecture
Mr. Stephen Gardner, former CEO of Amtrak, gave a guest lecture to the Rutgers Transportation Engineering class. Thank you, Mr. Gardner!
December 13, 2024
10th Anniversary and End-of-Year Party
Time flies! The Rutgers Rail and Transit Program recently celebrated its 10th anniversary and end-of-year party at Dr. Liu's home. The event was a wonderful opportunity to welcome new members and bid farewell to graduating friends. Welcome, Francisco, and best wishes, Junyan!
Feburary 23, 2024
Chinese New Year Group Lunch
Rutgers Rail and Transit Program had a group lunch to celebrate the Chinese New Year!
December 30, 2020
End-of-Year Virtual Happy Hour
Rutgers Rail and Transit Program had an end-of-year virtual happy hour to celebrate the new year!
November 25, 2019
Erik Hahn Guest Lecture
Mr. Erik Hahn from NJ TRANSIT gave an impressive guest lecture in Rutgers Track Engineering class. Thanks, Erik!
November 21, 2019
Thanksgiving Group Lunch with Frauscher
Group lunch to celebrate Thanksgiving Holiday, with our guests from Frauscher Sensor Technology. Enjoy food and discuss advanced sensing technologies!
November 15, 2019
LIRR Track Engineering Presentation
Mr. Yifeng Mao and Mr. Hiren Joshi from LIRR gave an excellent presentation on track engineering and design. Thank you!
November 7, 2019
Kevin Casey Clearances Presentation
Mr. Kevin Casey from Amtrak gave an excellent presentation on clearances. Thank you!
September 24, 2019
AREMA 2019 Conference Presentations
Dr. Xiang Liu and Zhipeng Zhang gave two presentations on terminal end-of-track collision prevention with PTC and railroad trespassing in AREMA 2019 Conference at Minneapolis, MN.
May 2, 2019
Ramsey Grade Crossing Visit
Rutgers students visited one busy highway-rail grade crossing on East Main Street in Ramsey, NJ to learn about the continued safety improvement actions, as well as grade crossing safety education. Thanks, NJDOT!
May 2, 2019
Wai Cheung ITS Presentation
Mr. Wai Cheung, a transportation expert from Michael Baker International, visited and gave an excellent presentation on Intelligent Transportation Systems technologies. Thanks, Mr. Cheung!
April 27, 2019
Rutgers Day 2019 Rail Safety Outreach
NJ Operation Lifesaver (Thai Luu and Eric Souders) and Rutgers Rail Program students participated in Rutgers Day 2019 and raised awareness of rail safety to the public. Thanks, Thai and Eric!
April 25, 2019
Asim Zaman Transportation Presentation
Asim Zaman from NJDOT gave excellent guest talk regarding his transportation projects and career. Thanks so much Asim for the excellent presentation. Thanks, Asim!
April 2, 2019
Tejashree Turla MS Defense
Tejashree Turla passed her M.S. special project defense on freight train collision risk analysis. She is now a civil engineer at Conti Enterprises. Congratulations, Tej!
October 24, 2018
Conrail Bridge Visit
Rutgers and GMU students visited Conrail to learn about removable bridges. Thanks, Conrail!
October 18, 2018
PATH Track Engineering Visit
Rutgers railroad engineering students visited PATH to learn about track engineering and asset management practices. Thanks, PATH!
ASCE Central Jersey Researcher of the Year Award
Dr. Xiang Liu received the "Researcher of the Year Award" from ASCE Central Jersey Branch (CJB), in recognition of his rail engineering and safety research. Thanks, ASCE-CJB!
AASHTO Sweet Sixteen High-Value Research Award
Dr. Liu received a "Sweet Sixteen" High-Value Research Award from American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in recognition of a research project he recently completed with New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) on the topic of roadway safety devices. Thanks, AASHTO!
August 1, 2018
Morteza Mesgari Hagh Summer Research Presentation
Morteza Mesgari Hagh presented his summer research regarding simulation-based optimization in transportation engineering. His work was funded by Rutgers Aresty Undergraduate Research Center. Well done, Morteza!
June 12, 2018
Summer Team Day
The team of Rutgers rail safety took a day off together as a welcome to summer, and spent the day with fun packed lunch followed by games. Everyone celebrated the graduation of a member and joining of new members. Such team events are scheduled for each season in order to celebrate special moments of our team.
May 29, 2018
Jieyi Master Thesis Defense
Jieyi has successfully passed her master thesis defense. Congrats, Jieyi!
May 5, 2018
Aresty Undergraduate Research Symposium Presentation
Liana and Daniel gave a presentation on the Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium held by the Aresty Research Center about their research on rail defect risk analysis. Congrats Liana and Daniel!
May 4, 2018
Rutgers School of Engineering Feature
Rutgers School of Engineering featured Dr. Xiang Liu and his students (some of them are in the photo) in the school magazine, to introduce Rutgers recent initiatives in advancing rail education and research in the region.
A. Walter Tyson Assistant Professor Award
Dr. Xiang Liu received A. Walter Tyson Assistant Professor Award from Rutgers School of Engineering (SOE) in recognition of his rail research and education. Thanks, SOE!
April 28, 2018
Rutgers Day 2018 Rail Safety Outreach
NJ Operation Lifesaver (Babara Foran and Gregory Spiritosanto) and Rutgers Rail Program students participated in Rutgers Day in 2018 and raised awareness of rail safety to the public. Thanks so much, Babara and Greg for the excellent work!
April 18, 2018
Joint Rail Conference 2018 Papers
Rutgers Rail Program students presented seven papers at the Joint Rail Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, covering rail infrastructure management, big data analytics, positive train control, ridesharing, and intelligent rail systems.
April 16, 2018
HDR Railroad Engineering Guest Presentations
Mr. Pete Davis and Mr. Michael Naughton from HDR gave excellent guest presentations regarding railroad engineering. Thanks, Pete and Michael!
April 12, 2018
David Mayer Rail Safety Talk
Mr. David Mayer from MTA gave a talk regarding rail safety. He also interacted with the students with respect to challenges and opportunities in the rail industry. Thanks, David!
April 5, 2018
David Liebgold ITS Guest Lecture
Mr. David Liebgold, an expert of ITS and traffic engineering from Michale Baker International, gave a guest lecture on intelligent transportation system design. Thanks, David!
March 26, 2018
Robert James Emerging Transportation Technologies Lecture
Mr. Robert James, an expert of Connected & Automated Vehicles from HNTB, gave a guest lecture on emerging transportation technologies. Thanks, Robert!
March 28, 2018
Railway Age Fast Trackers Recognition
Dr. Xiang Liu was recognized by Railway Age as a runner-up of the Fast Trackers - 10 Under 40 contest (https://www.railwayage.com/news/fast-trackers-railway-ages-10-40/). This award is given to young professionals who make an impact on the railway industry.
March 22, 2018
Progressive Railroading Rising Star Award
Dr. Xiang Liu was recognized by Progressive Railroading magazine with a "Rising Star" award.
March 19, 2018
NJBIZ Interview
Dr. Xiang Liu was interviewed by NJBIZ to talk about his work on rail research and education. (http://www.njbiz.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20180319/NJBIZ01/180319863/all-aboard).
March 16, 2018
AREMA Scholarship for Zhipeng
Zhipeng received AREMA Educational Foundation 2018 Scholarship (Committee 4 - Rail Art Worth Memorial Scholarship). Congratulations, Zhipeng!
March 13, 2018
Sophia Pastore Rutgers Engineering Feature
Sophia Pastore, an undergraduate research assistant in the group, has been featured in the Rutgers School of Engineering news. Congratulations, Sophia! (http://soe.rutgers.edu/rutgers-engineering-students-dive-research).
March 6, 2018
Rutgers Today Rail Safety Feature
Rutgers Today, a university-wide media, features the rail safety research and education headed by Dr. Liu's group. (https://news.rutgers.edu/rutgers-leads-rail-safety-research-and-education-new-jersey-and-new-york/20180306#.Wp6qDJPwb6Z). Thanks, Rutgers Today! (Photo: Allison Thomas/Rutgers CAIT)
February 1, 2018
Transportation Today Cover Story
Dr. Xiang Liu's rail safety research was featured as a cover story in Transportation Today, published by Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT). (https://cait.rutgers.edu/system/files/u5/CAIT_NL19_January2018_web_final.pdf).
January 8, 2018
TRB Outstanding Research Contribution Award
TRB Hazmat Transportation Committee (AT040) honored Dr. Xiang Liu with an Outstanding Research Contribution Award based on his paper entitled "Analysis of Multiple Tank Car Releases in Train Accidents. Accident Analysis and Prevention 107: 164-172." Thanks, TRB!
December 5, 2017
Amtrak Visit to Rutgers Rail Program
Amtrak colleagues visited Rutgers Rail Program, listened to Track Engineering student presentation on rail wear big data analysis, and gave an excellent presentation on railroad engineering and big data issues. Thank you Amtrak for visiting us!
December 1, 2017
Thanksgiving Group Photo
Before thanksgiving break, part of our group members got together and took a memorable group photo as a conclusion of this year. Happy thanksgiving to all supporters and friends of our group!
November 17, 2017
NJ Transit Maintenance Facility Visit
Three graduate students from Rutgers Rail Program (Zhipeng, Zheyong and Tejashree) were invited by NJ Transit to visit their maintenance facility and operations center. Thanks, NJ Transit!
September 27, 2017
AREMA 2017 Conference Poster Award
Daniel Milo and Zhipeng Zhang attended 2017 AREMA Annual Conference in Indianapolis. Daniel Milo won the second prize of Undergraduate Poster Competition in AREMA Conference, with a poster on the Automated Detection of Grade-Crossing-Trespassing Near Misses Based On Artificial Intelligence Analysis of Surveillance Video Data. Congrats, Daniel!
Chris Higgins Cambridge Systematics Position
Congratulations to Chris Higgins (former group member) on accepting a full-time transportation analyst position at Cambridge Systems. Chris participated in track geometry risk analysis research and various other transportation studies. Best luck, Chris!
April 29, 2017
Rutgers Day AREMA Table
On Rutgers Day, Zhipeng Zhang, Sophia Pastore, Daniel Rodriguez, Daniel Milo, and Christian Higgins (left to right) set up AREMA table to introduce interesting railroad models and significant knowledge to young children, which help to spread the value of Rutgers railroad education and research program to the general public. Thank you all for spending a valuable weekend on contributing to the Rutgers railroad program!
April 28, 2017
Yifeng Lan Aresty Symposium Poster
Yifeng Lan attended The 13th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium held by the Aresty Research Center, and presented a poster on "Multivariable Statistical Model for Prediction of Railway Defect" to culminate her Aresty Research Assistant program for the 2016-2017 academic year. Congrats Yifeng!
April 20, 2017
Matthew Greve Amtrak Big Data Talk
Mr. Matthew Greve from Amtrak visited Rutgers Rail Group and delivered a great talk regarding how Amtrak is tapping big data analytics to improve safety and service quality. Thanks, Mr. Greve!
April 17, 2017
PATH Career Opportunities Presentation
Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) visited Rutgers Rail Group. Mr. Mike Marino (Executive Director and General Manager) gave an excellent presentation regarding PATH and railroad career opportunities. Thanks, PATH!
ASCE New Jersey Educator of the Year Award
ASCE New Jersey Section honored Dr. Xiang Liu with the Educator of the Year Award in recognition of his contribution to railroad education in the region. Thanks, ASCE-NJ!
USDOT Fast Forward Interview
Dr. Xiang Liu was interviewed by USDOT Fast Forward to talk about opportunities in the railroad industry.(http://fastforwardtransportation.com/V3-mr-opportunities.html).
New Jersey Shortline Railroad Association Donation
New Jersey Shortline Railroad Association donated $2000 to Rutgers AREMA Student Chapter in support of the railroad education and workforce development at Rutgers University. Much appreciated, New Jersey Railroaders!
Joint Rail Conference Paper Publications
Congratulations to Kang Zhou, Zheyong Bian and Jieyi Deng for publishing their respective paper in the Joint Rail Conference in 2017. Well done!
Zheyong Bian ASME Conference Scholarship
Zheyong Bian was awarded the competitive Graduate Student Conference Scholarship by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for presenting his research at the Joint Rail Conference in 2017. Congratulations, Zheyong!
TRB 2017 Outstanding Research Contribution Award
Dr. Liu received an Outstanding Research Contribution Award from the Hazardous Materials Transportation Committee (AT040) of Transportation Research Board,2017.
January 8, 2017
TRB 2017 Best Paper Award
Dr. Liu received a Best Paper Award for Young Member, Railroad Operational Safety Committee (AR070) of Transportation Research Board, 2017.
Group Member Internships
Group member took internships. Brian Leckie is interning at the Somerset County Planning Division in Somerville, NJ. Liwei Wang is a statistician contractor at Sanofi, responsible for learning and implementing Bayesian network analysis for bio-marker data.
July 29, 2016
Daniel Rodriguez Aresty Summer Poster
Daniel Rodriguez, a rising sophomore, presented a poster on the "Statistical Comparison of Train Accident Rates: Methodology and Decision Support Tool" culminating his Aresty Summer Science Program experience. Congrats Daniel!
July 25, 2016
Christian Higgins Eisenhower Fellowship
Christian Higgins was awarded a prestigious Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship based on his research on railroad safety and risk analysis. The award is offered by the US Department of Transportation. Congratulations, Chris!
June 17, 2016
AREMA Student Chapter Short Line Railroad Talk
Christian Higgins (presenter), President of the Rutgers University Student Chapter for the American Railway and Engineering Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), gave a talk at a recent New Jersey Short Line Railroad Association meeting. This talk consisted of a brief description of the AREMA student chapter as well as what they aim to accomplish in the coming years so that they may realize their goal of bringing students and local industry closer together. Good work, Chris!
April 15, 2016
Joint Rail Conference Research Scholarship Honors
Yanlei Wang, Can Hu and Jiabo He were honored at the conference banquet due to their research scholarship. They all delivered excellent presentations. Great job, all!
Can Hu ASME Conference Scholarship
Can Hu was awarded the competitive Graduate Student Conference Scholarship by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to present his research at the Joint Rail Conference in 2016 (Can's work focuses on data analytics and modeling of track condition data). Congratulations, Can!
Yanlei Wang and Ling Ma ASME Scholarships
Yanlei Wang and Ling Ma were awarded the competitive Graduate Student Conference Scholarship by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to present their respective research at the Joint Rail Conference in 2016 (Yanlei' work is train collision risk modeling and Ling's work is spatial risk analysis of train derailments). Congratulations, Yanlei and Ling!
Rutgers AREMA Student Chapter Established
Under the auspices of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association (AREMA) and Rutgers University, the first AREMA Student Chapter at Rutgers University (Rutgers Rail) was established in Spring 2016. Christian Higgins (current group member) is the founding President of the Chapter, supported by his board members, Nicole Todd (Vice President), Kang Zhou (Treasurer), and Yanlei Wang (Secretary). As the only rail-focused student organization in New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, this chapter will actively build a tie between Rutgers University and the railway industry. The AREMA generously provides gift fund to support the initiation of this chapter. The Faculty Advisors of this chapter include Dr. Xiang Liu and Dr. Trefor Williams.
Xiangyi Guo Quantcast Position
Congratulations to Xiangyi Guo (former group member) on accepting a Research Analyst position at Quantcast in San Francisco. Xiangyi has participated in railroad safety and risk analysis research in the fall of 2014. Best luck on your new position, Xiangyi!
Jan 11, 2016
Kang Zhou TRB Poster Presentation
Kang Zhou gave a poster presentation entitled "Risk-based ship collision-avoidance maneuvers under bunker consumption optimization" on the Annual Meeting of Transportation Research Board at D.C. Good job, Kang!
Dec 02, 2015
David Thurston Railroad Capacity Presentation
Dr. David Thurston (VP of Atkins) gave an informative presentation on railroad capacity, train control systems and civil designs. Thanks, Dr. Thurston!
Xiaoxi Ma Data Scientist Position
Congratulations to Xiaoxi Ma (former group member) on accepting a data scientist position at Optimal Strategic Group. Xiaoxi has participated in geospatial risk analysis of railroad accidents in the summer of 2015 and recently received her M.S. in Statistics from Rutgers University. Best luck on your new position, Xiaoxi!
Nov 23, 2015
Ingrid Schultze Career Talk
Ms. Ingrid Schultze (Rutgers alumna), a successful serial entrepreneur specialized in applied operations research, shared her experience with students and suggested how to stand out in the career. Thanks very much, Ingrid!
Nov 05, 2015
Anthony Murray Hazmat Regulations Presentation
Mr. Anthony Murray from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) gave an informative presentation regarding hazmat transportation regulations
Oct 14, 2015
Academic Writing Training Workshop
The group had its first academic writing training workshop. Dr. David Jones, a professional English editor, was invited to give a lecture on how to improve writing skills.
Kang Zhou TRB Paper Acceptance
Kang Zhou's paper entitled "Risk-based ship collision-avoidance maneuvers under bunker consumption optimization" was accepted into the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of Transportation Research Board. He will present this work at D.C. in 2016. Congratulations, Kang!
Joint Rail Conference 2016 Abstract Acceptances
Six abstracts have been accepted to the Joint Rail Conference in South Carolina in 2016. The studies cover train accident risk analysis and infrastructure management. Can, Tal, Jiabo, Ling, Yanlei, Yubo are eligible for applying for a travel scholarship
Can Hu INFORMS Railroad Data Analytics Report
Can Hu submitted a final report to the Railway Applications Section (RAS) of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) for a competition on railroad data analytics. His research, entitled "Predicting Track Geometry Degradation using Data Mining Techniques" addresses data-driven railroad infrastructure management. Good luck, Can!
Can Hu NSF Travel Award
Congratulations to Can Hu for receiving a NSF travel award to present his railroad data analytics research in Seattle. Good job, Can!