Prof. Dr.- Ing. Duo Liu has headed the Chair of Railways at the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences since April 1, 2024. After his first few weeks at TU Dresden, we invited him for an interview.

Prof. Liu received his doctorate from the Chair and Testing Office for Traffic Route Construction at the Technical University of Munich, where he worked intensively on the interaction between railroad vehicles and tracks. After his doctorate, he worked at Vossloh for eight years, a global leader in railroad infrastructure, and Konux GmbH, a pioneering company in AI/IoT applications for railroad switches. He is now Head of the Chair of Rail Infrastructure in Dresden.

We asked him in an interview why he came to Dresden and what his plans are.

Diehl (D): You grew up in China and also completed your Bachelor's degree there. You then moved to Munich, where you completed your Master's degree and doctorate at the Chair and Testing Office for Traffic Route Construction. After a few years in the industry, we now welcome you to Dresden. What were your reasons for applying to the TUD?

Prof. Liu (L): For me, TU Dresden is a milestone and I am very happy to have been given this opportunity.

I have always seen myself as a scientist. In industry, I mainly worked in research and development and that's something I'm particularly good at. I said to myself: "If you want to become a real academic, then at a renowned university". I already applied to TU Dresden in 2021 because this university has a very special charm for me. The "Friedrich List" faculty is one of a kind as the only faculty solely concerned with transportation and traffic matters that bundles all the skills it contains in one place.

Then a warm welcome! We are delighted that you have found your way to Dresden.
What areas do you focus on in your research?

L: The current chair works a lot on the topics of "design and drafting of railroad systems" as well as "superstructure and track technology". The latter in particular has always been part of my research, for example at the Technical University of Munich or at Vossloh.

Something that I bring with me is the area of "digitalization in railroad infrastructure". This is also a very topical issue from a political perspective, as Germany in particular wants to digitize its railroad infrastructure for the development of the Deutschlandtakt. I also already see a competence in the chair with which we can and even must participate in this wave of digitalization.

D: Do you see any links between your research and TU Dresden's Excellence Strategy 2028 and the emerging fields mentioned therein? The emerging field of "Automated and Networked Mobility" is linked to the "Friedrich List" Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences.

L: On the one hand, the area of digitalization that I just mentioned. However, I would also like to add that the focus is on "networked mobility" and I therefore see it as our responsibility to work in a networked and interdisciplinary way.

D: You have achieved a number of successes with your work in recent years. You received the Karl Vossloh Innovation Prize for your dissertation and are (co-)owner of various patents. What was the thematic focus of these successes? Have they already been applied in practice?

L: I have several patents for innovative components for railroad infrastructure. For example, newly designed fastening systems that reduce vibrations and increase the durability of the material. A potential area of application here would be high-speed railways or the heavy-duty sector. Another patent is a special sleeper geometry and can be made from a special plastic, which also increases durability.

As far as I know, these innovations are used and presented at trade fairs such as InnoTrans, as these products can show clear advantages over existing products.

I received the awards for my dissertation for the innovative methodology used to illustrate the interactions between the vehicle and the track.

D: What fascinates you about mobility and transportation?

L: I think I'm a bit of a "rail nerd", having been fascinated by the world of railroads since I was a little boy. Even as a schoolboy, I was able to talk a lot about railroad technology, which was the deciding factor for me to start my career in this field. I am very happy to have turned my passion into a profession.

D: How do you think you can contribute your experience to the chair? Do you already have ideas for future projects?

L: I believe I can add my expertise in the area of switch research, which is already excellent. This involves new methodologies such as dynamic vehicle-track interaction or machine learning. I have a few ideas regarding the design and layout of railroad systems in cooperation with industry and science.

D: Have you already had encounters with colleagues in the faculty? Perhaps also interdisciplinary?

L: In fact, although I've only been here for two weeks, I've already had a few encounters. At the faculty, I've already had very good exchanges with Prof. Stephan, Prof. Gerike and Prof. Bešinović, to name just a few. Beyond the faculty, I had a first conversation with Prof. Färber, who will be part of the planned AI Competence Center at TUD. I believe that a very good collaboration will be possible here, because artificial intelligence is the basis for our applications in railroad operations. I also have ideas for working together with other departments, such as Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering, in order to pool expertise.

D: What should students of the faculty know about you and what can they expect from you?

L: I can give students a very good and comprehensive insight into the field of railroad infrastructure. This includes, for example, railroad history, global developments, and contacts with industry.

As a department, we are very open to discussion and exchange. We want to offer students the best possible support for their careers and technical challenges so that they become really good engineers.

D: Have you already had the opportunity to get to know Dresden or the surrounding area?

L: My family and I have been living in Dresden since mid-March. I must have been to Dresden four or five times as a tourist before that. So both the city and the surrounding area are at least a bit familiar to me. Dresden is a very beautiful city with lots of opportunities to relax.

 

Thank you very much for your time and we wish Professor Liu all the best and in his personal and professional career!

Originalautor

Interview: Tim Diehl / Dean´s Office

Prof. Dr.- Ing. Duo Liu

Chair of Railway Track Engineering

Phone: +49 351 463-36559

E-mail: duo.liu@tu-dresden.de

About Duo Liu

Duo Liu grew up in China and completed his bachelor's degree in transportation engineering at Shanghai University of Technology in 2007. He then completed his Master's degree in Transportation Systems at the Technical University of Munich in 2009. In 2015, Duo Liu received his doctorate from the TUM at the Chair and Testing Office for Traffic Route Construction.

In addition to his studies in Munich, he first worked as an assistant researcher and then as a research assistant, where he already gave his first lectures and took over the management of various projects in the fields of vehicle-road interaction.

As a newly qualified doctor, he then worked as a development engineer at Vossloh Fastening Systems GmbH until 2022, where he was involved in various research and development projects.

Since 2022, Liu has worked as a Senior Solution Engineer at Konux.

Main research areas

Design and layout of railroad systems

Superstructure and track technology

Digitalization in the railroad infrastructure