Hitachi Rail has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ontario Tech University to support the launch of Canada’s first undergraduate Railway Engineering Specialisation. Beginning in September 2025, the programme aims to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in Canada’s rail sector, providing students with both academic training and industry experience.

The MoU was signed by Ziad Rizk, Managing Director of Hitachi Rail Canada, and Dr Hossam Kishawy, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Ontario Tech University. Under the agreement, Hitachi Rail will contribute to curriculum development, offer student placements, and explore opportunities for joint research.

Students enrolled in the specialisation will gain exposure to areas such as railway systems, safety and signalling, rolling stock, operations, and maintenance. They will also benefit from guest lectures and mentoring provided by Hitachi Rail experts.

Ziad Rizk said:

“This is an exciting opportunity for Hitachi Rail to partner with Ontario Tech University and for the students to leverage experiences from this partnership. Bridging the gap between industry and classroom will shape a workforce trained and ready to meet real-world challenges. We are greatly looking forward to having the chance to contribute to this discipline and provide opportunities for aspiring engineers in the Canadian rail sector.”

A first for Canada

The specialisation will be available to third- and fourth-year students in Manufacturing, Automotive, Mechatronics, and Mechanical Engineering programmes, with Software and Electrical Engineering students able to take courses as electives. It is Canada’s only English-language undergraduate railway engineering programme, preparing students for careers in rail electrification, automation, and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Dr Hossam Kishawy commented:

“Ontario Tech is proud to be home to Canada’s only English-language undergraduate Railway Engineering specialisation, preparing students with the skills industry needs most—rail electrification, automation, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Our new partnership with Hitachi Rail strengthens this mission, ensuring our students gain exposure to global expertise while helping industry address critical workforce needs.”

Supporting Ontario’s transit expansion

The partnership comes as Ontario undertakes the largest transit expansion in North America, supported by a provincial CAD 70 billion investment in public transport. Projects include the expansion of GO Transit, restoration of passenger rail to northern Ontario, and the construction of the Ontario Line subway.

Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, said:

“Ontario has launched the largest transit expansion in North America, and this first-of-its-kind railway engineering programme will ensure our province has the talent it needs to deliver game-changing rail infrastructure. Our GO Expansion plan includes the Bowmanville Extension, which will make it easier for post-secondary students to access Ontario Tech University’s campus in Oshawa.”

Nolan Quinn, Ontario’s Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security, added:

“Ontario’s world-class postsecondary education institutions are building a robust engineering workforce of the future. Our government commends this innovative partnership between Ontario Tech and Hitachi Rail, enabling students enrolled in the Railway Engineering Specialisation to get the education and hands-on training they need to keep Ontario moving for decades to come.”

Hitachi Rail has operated in Toronto for more than 40 years and currently employs around 1,200 people in Ontario.

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Ontario Tech University’s Faculty of Engineering of Applied Science has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global mobility leader Hitachi Rail to support a first-of-its-kind in Canada, Railway Engineering Specialization program that launches in September.

Signed by Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and Ziad Rizk, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail Canada, the MOU will help address the growing demand for skilled professionals in Canada’s rail sector and strengthen collaboration between the rail industry and the next generation of Canadian engineers. By combining industry expertise with specialized academic training, this partnership positions Ontario Tech University and Hitachi Rail at the forefront of rail innovation.

The Railway Engineering Specialization will be available to third- and fourth-year students enrolled in Manufacturing, Automotive, Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering programs. The Specialization will teach students the necessary skills for railway infrastructure development, track design, signalling systems and rolling stock management. 

Hitachi Rail’s 40+ year history in Toronto, with 1,200 employees in Ontario and delivering global transit projects to the busiest networks in the world, is a leader in the mobility sector. Hitachi Rail’s significant railway expertise contributes to the program, by providing student placements, exploring joint research and development opportunities, while supporting course content review and expert guest speaking events.

Quotes

“Ontario Tech is proud to be home to Canada’s only English-language undergraduate Railway Engineering specialization, preparing students with the skills industry needs most—rail electrification, automation, and climate-resilient infrastructure. Our new partnership with Hitachi Rail strengthens this mission, ensuring our students gain exposure to global expertise while helping industry address critical workforce needs.”
– Dr. Hossam Kishawy, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ontario Tech University

“This is an exciting opportunity for Hitachi Rail to partner with Ontario Tech University and for the students to leverage experiences from this partnership. Bridging the gap between industry and classroom will shape a workforce trained and ready to meet real-world challenges. We are greatly looking forward to having the chance to contribute to this discipline and provide opportunities for aspiring engineers in the Canadian rail sector.”
– Ziad Rizk, Managing Director, Hitachi Rail Canada

“Ontario has launched the largest transit expansion in North America, and this first-of-its kind railway engineering program will ensure our province has the talent it needs to deliver game-changing rail infrastructure. Our government is investing $70 billion in public transit to expand GO Transit, restore passenger rail service to northern Ontario and build the largest subway expansion in Canadian history, including the Ontario Line subway. Our GO Expansion plan includes the Bowmanville Extension, which will make it easier for post-secondary students to access Ontario Tech University’s campus in Oshawa.”
– Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario Minister of Transportation

“Ontario’s world-class post-secondary education institutions are building a robust engineering workforce of the future. Our government commends this innovative partnership between Ontario Tech and Hitachi Rail, enabling students enrolled in the Railway Engineering Specialization to get the education and hands-on training they need to keep Ontario moving for decades to come.”
– Hon. Nolan Quinn, Ontario Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security

About Hitachi Rail

Hitachi Rail is committed to driving the sustainable mobility transition and has a clear focus on partnering with customers to rethink mobility. Its mission is to help every passenger, customer and community enjoy the benefits of more connected, seamless and sustainable transport.

With revenues of over €7bn and 1,400 colleagues in North America, and 12,000 around the world, Hitachi Rail is a trusted partner to the world’s best transport organizations. The company’s reach is global, but the business is local – with success built on developing local talent and investing in people and communities. 

Its international capabilities and expertise span every part of the urban, mainline and freight rail ecosystems – from high quality manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock to secure digital signalling, smart operations and payment systems.

Hitachi Rail, famous for Japan’s iconic high-speed bullet train, draws on the digital and AI expertise of Hitachi Group companies to accelerate innovation and develop new technologies. Hitachi Group is present in 140 countries with over 270,000 employees and global revenues of €58.16 billion / ¥9.7 billion.

For more information, visit hitachirail.com.

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Ontario Tech University and Hitachi Rail Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony in Toronto, Ontario (August 26, 2025).

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Saidpur in Nilphamari has grown into a key centre for light engineering in northern Bangladesh, with over 500 factories producing goods worth around Tk300 crore annually. More than 100 of these factories specialise in railway components, valued at over Tk50 crore each year.

Business owners say the railway parts industry, once dependent on imports, has transformed Saidpur’s light engineering sector, creating numerous jobs and producing several successful entrepreneurs.

Md Naim Khan, owner of Naim Engineering Workshop, is one such entrepreneur. Born in Saidpur, he learned to make parts while working with a railway contractor in Chattogram. Returning in the 1990s, he began producing railway components for the Saidpur Railway Workshop.

“The workshop I started in 1996 now employs 21 people,” Naim said. “Apart from locomotive engines, almost every type of railway part is available from my factory. I supply regularly to the Saidpur Railway Workshop and the Dinajpur coal mine.”

Naim supplies about Tk30 lakh worth of parts to the Saidpur Railway Workshop annually. “Nearly a hundred factories in Saidpur produce railway components. Some supply directly to the railway, while others do so through contractors. Demand is steadily rising,” he added.

Local sources note that the British established the largest railway workshop in Saidpur in 1870 under the Assam Bengal Railway. Many retired workers later set up light engineering businesses producing mechanical parts. “My late father, Nizam Uddin, also worked at the Saidpur Railway Workshop. Inspired by him, I started this business,” Naim added.

Industry veterans say light engineering began during the Pakistan era, producing mostly general mechanical parts. After independence, the sector expanded rapidly, earning Saidpur the nickname “second Jinjira” after the famous industrial area near Dhaka.

Factories in Saidpur now produce bicycle spare parts and various railway components, including connecting rods, housings, hose pipes, engine covers, couplings, bearing covers, cap engines, doors, windows, and handles for rail coaches. Railway parts are the most valuable segment of this growing sector, according to businessmen and Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) sources.

Core Engineering has been supplying locally made components directly to the Saidpur Railway Workshop for more than 10 years. Manager Al Amin said, “Thanks to the railway and other facilities, light engineering equipment has flourished here. With skilled craftsmen, nearly all types of machinery using local technology can be manufactured. Because the railway often needs train components, many factories have sprung up across the city.”

Business owners say railway parts are commonly made from old iron, steel sheets, ship-breaking scrap, angles, and rods, sourced from Dhaka, Chattogram, local markets, and sometimes imported when shortages occur. Designs or blueprints are occasionally brought from Jashore and Bogura, which Saidpur technicians adapt.

Rabiul Islam, who has been making machine parts since 1995 at Maksud Alam Traders near the Saidpur BSCIC Industrial Area, said, “After years in the light engineering sector, I can now replicate machine parts precisely just by looking at them. We produce everything from nuts and bolts to complex machine components.”

Highlighting the need for government support, Ershad Hossain Pappu, president of the Saidpur District Branch of the Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners’ Association and director of M/S Abdullah Engineering Workshop, said, “Around 500 enterprises are involved in light engineering in Saidpur. More than 100 of these factories also produce railway components worth over Tk50 crore each year, supplying them with BSCIC approval.

“The sector produces goods worth about Tk300 crore annually and employs several thousand people. With government incentives, easy loans, and modern technological support, this sector could grow even further.”

To supply parts directly to the Saidpur Railway Workshop and the Central Locomotive Workshop in Parbatipur, companies must register as subcontractors with the Nilphamari office of BSCIC.

Moshiur Rahman, industrial city officer of BSCIC Nilphamari, said, “Fifty companies supplying components to the Saidpur Railway Workshop are registered with our office. These firms can deliver parts directly to the railway through tenders. Many other enterprises are also manufacturing parts. This is now a highly promising industry.”