A career on track in rail engineering

After completing his degree in Robotic and Mechatronic Engineering last year, Zain Khan joined Monash Institute of Railway Technology (IRT) as a Graduate Research Engineer.

Working on advanced rail technologies, he’s now helping develop the Dynamic Track Gauge Maintenance System (DTGMS) – laser cameras mounted under trains that monitor rail conditions and flag safety risks before they occur. The system, used by MTR Corporation in Hong Kong, can even be recalibrated remotely by Zain and his team.

Zain’s passion for innovation also earned him a Next Generation Scholarship at the 2025 Rail Decarbonisation and Resilience Conference for his paper “Sustainable Railways with AI Predictive Maintenance and Recycled Materials.”

I think the younger generation tends to overlook rail,” he says. “But once you get into it, you realise how important it is for communities and the environment. We can really help reach net zero by 2050.

Zain’s journey shows the value of staying open to where your interests can lead. What began as a passion for cars and robotics has evolved into a career in rail - a field he hadn’t initially considered, but one that’s given him the chance to make a real impact.