First and third-year undergraduate students of the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, attending the elective courses Railway Systems and Life Cycle of Railway Vehicles, recently visited the TPS (Depot) in Zemun – a specialised maintenance workshop for electric multiple units and passenger coaches.
The visit was organised as part of the long-standing and highly successful cooperation between the Department of Railway Mechanical Engineering of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the railway company Srbija Voz. The cooperation is primarily focused on the development of highly specialised engineering staff, as well as joint work on development projects aimed at improving and optimising the company’s operations. Particular importance is attached to the education of Master Engineers in Railway Mechanical Engineering, especially in light of the ongoing expansion and modernisation works at the Zemun TPS Depot, which are focused on introducing state-of-the-art high- speed train maintenance systems.
The students were welcomed by Predrag Nedić, Head of the Depot, who greeted them and wished them a successful visit. After being introduced to occupational safety, health protection and workplace safety measures, the heads of individual sectors provided detailed presentations on the workshop’s activities and the organisation of maintenance processes for electric multiple units and passenger coaches.
During the tour of the depot, the students also had the opportunity to learn more about the technical characteristics of the latest electric multiple units, including the “Stadler FLIRT (160km/h)”, Stadler KISS (200km/h)” and the EMU supplied by the Chinese company CRRC for speeds of up to 200 km/h. These trains were purchased by Srbija Voz for operation on the new Belgrade-Budapest railway line. The modern design and advanced equipment of these trains left a strong impression on the future engineers.
Professional visits, as an integral part of education, represent an important segment of the teaching process at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, as they enable students to gain practical knowledge. During the tour of the electric multiple unit maintenance halls, students had the opportunity to become familiar with the organisation of maintenance processes, as well as the problems and challenges associated with them. In addition to professional visits, students of the Department of Railway Mechanical Engineering are also offered professional internships at Srbija Voz, as well as the opportunity to choose topics for their Master’s theses.