"Railway Engineers of the Future" - May 8, 2026, Friday, 3:00 pm, Pavilhão de Informática I, amphitheatre FA1

Date: May 8, 2026, Friday
Time: 3:00 pm
Place: Pavilhão de Informática I, amphitheatre FA1

• Speaker: Hugo Magalhães (Scientific Area of Structural and Computational Mechanics of DEM/IST; IDMEC - Institute of Mechanical Engineering, LAETA)

• Title: "Railway Engineers of the Future"

• Abstract:

Sustainability and resilience have become central priorities across many engineering fields, driving the need for continuous advances in the state of the art. In the face of climate change and with growing awareness of the crucial role of public transport in societal development, railway systems have been increasingly prioritised worldwide. Rail transport stands out as the greenest mode of transportation, offering one of the least polluting and most energy‑efficient solutions for the movement of passengers and goods.
Within this context, Railway Dynamics represents a fundamental research area. The development of advanced computational tools for analysing the dynamics of railway vehicles and pantographs, as well as their interaction with the infrastructure under real operating conditions, plays a key role in optimising existing railway systems and fostering technological innovation. Addressing this challenge requires effective and sustained actions to strengthen the bridge between academia and industry, with the objective of promoting deeper knowledge and advanced competencies in railway engineering across both academic and industrial environments.
This Seminar covers:
◦ Past research contributions: a look back at key European and National projects that tackled real-world challenges in vehicle-track and pantograph-catenary interactions;
◦ Ongoing research activities:
- Twin-Rail Project that aims to develop a Digital Twin to predict the health of railway assets enabling predictive maintenance active to replace costly preventive maintenance activities;
- ISTrain Group and the CAPSTONE Helianto Project, both focused on the development of locomotives, bringing students to the forefront of engineering;
◦ Future activities: a roadmap for upcoming research, looking forward to new synergies.

• Short Biographic Note:

Hugo Magalhães is an Assistant Professor in the Scientific Area of Structural and Computational Mechanics of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (DEM) at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, since October 2025. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (2019) from IST, during which he also served as a visiting scholar at Politecnico di Milano (Italy). His career is marked by extensive international and industrial experience. He served as a Research Fellow at the Institute of Railway Research (United Kingdom), contributing to major European and National projects in collaboration with industry partners. Later, he transitioned to the private sector as a Principal Industrial Researcher at MainRail (Spain), expanding his professional network across Spain and South America.
Currently, Hugo Magalhães is a researcher at IDMEC and the coordinator of several innovative railway initiatives at IST, including the ISTrain Student Group and the Helianto Project (a solar-powered lightweight vehicle). Throughout his career, he has secured significant competitive funding (FCT) and established direct industrial partnerships focused on vehicle dynamics and derailment prevention. His research interests focus on railway engineering, vehicle-track interaction, and promoting innovation and railway engineering careers.

This is another Seminar of the “Seminars@DEM” cycle.
Next Seminar, May 18, 2026, Monday, 3:30 pm.