Professional profile
Albert Lau
Albert Lau is a railway engineering expert and associate professor at NTNU, with particular expertise in train–track interaction, infrastructure monitoring and railway maintenance.
Experience
2020 – present
Associate Professor
NTNU · Trondheim, Norway
Railway and road research, supervision of master’s and doctoral students, and teaching in railway engineering. Course coordination and contributions across engineering and further education.
2020 – present
Study Programme Leader
NTNU · MSc in Road, Railway and Transport Engineering
Lead and coordinate the experience-based master’s programme for professionals.
Jan – Dec 2020
Associate Professor II · 20%
Oslo Metropolitan University · Norway
Supervised bachelor’s projects in railway engineering and contributed to the development of the Smart Mobility and Urban Analytics master’s programme in Civil and Energy Engineering.
2018 – 2020
Postdoctoral Researcher
NTNU · Trondheim, Norway
Railway and road research, master’s supervision, and coordination of Norway–China collaboration. Village leader for TBA4853, Punktlig og effektiv jernbane, in Experts in Teamwork.
Apr – Jun 2018
Researcher
NTNU · Trondheim, Norway
Research in railway and road engineering and coordination of Norway–China collaboration during the transition from doctoral research to the postdoctoral role.
Jun 2017 – Jan 2018
Assistant Professor
NTNU · Trondheim, Norway
Temporary teaching appointment during the PhD. Lectured and coordinated TBA4222 Advanced Railway Technology and BA6053 Sporgeometri og sporteknikk.
2014 – 2018
PhD Candidate
NTNU · Trondheim, Norway
Research on railway switches and crossings and numerical simulation of vehicle–track interaction.
2013 – 2014
Project Engineer
Zinga Properties · Malaysia
Managed construction of twelve four-storey commercial buildings and supervised main contractors and subcontractors on and off site.
2010 – 2012
Design Engineer
Cheng and Ling Architects and Engineers · Malaysia
Structural design and consultancy for reinforced concrete, steel and foundations, water reticulation and wastewater systems, with construction site inspections.
Education
2014–2018
PhD, Civil and Transport Engineering
Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
2012–2013
MSc, Civil and Structural Engineering
University of Leeds: Distinction.
2008–2010
BEng, Civil Engineering
University of Leeds: First-class honours.
2006–2008
Diploma, Civil Engineering
INTI College Subang Jaya.
Research
- Over NOK 35 million in the research funding portfolio, 2021–2026.
- Main supervisor for 5 PhD candidates and co-supervisor for 3.
As of June 2026.
Projects
- MeTinT
Principal investigator
Measurement with Train in Regular Traffic.
- ReThink Ballast
Principal investigator
Rethinking Norwegian ballast construction and maintenance.
- TrainGate
Principal investigator
Trackside fault detection and its benefits for maintenance, operational reliability and costs. Includes a PhD project funded by the Norwegian Railway Directorate.
- FutuRe and FutuRe 2
Co-principal investigator
Innovative rail services to revitalise capillary lines and regional rail services.
- ATHENA-X
Contributor
Climate-resilient railway monitoring through digital twins, sensing and simulation. MSCA Staff Exchanges proposal selected for grant preparation.
Research areas
Vehicle–track interaction, condition monitoring, railway infrastructure, automation and digital twins.
Academic service and collaboration
- Editorial Board Member, High-speed Railway, and co-editor roles for several journals.
- Conference organiser and Scientific Committee member for BCRRA.
- Coordination of Norway–China research collaboration and projects.
Teaching
Programme leader for NTNU’s experience-based MSc in Road, Railway and Transport Engineering. Teaching in railway engineering and supervision of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral research.
Courses
- BM6980: Road, Rail and Transport Engineering, Master’s Thesis
- TBA4225: Railway Engineering 2
- TBA4853: Punctual and Efficient Railway. Village leader, Experts in Teamwork.
- TBM4282: Road and Railway Engineering 1
- BA6012: Railway Engineering
- BM6812: Railway Engineering
- TBM4345: Sustainable transport and transport infrastructure
Previous teaching and coordination
- TBA4222 Advanced Railway Engineering: former course coordinator, including autumn 2020.
- BA6054 Grunnleggende sporvedlikehold: course coordination.
- BA6053 Sporgeometri og sporteknikk: teaching and coordination during the 2017–2018 appointment.
- Contributions to other engineering courses and bachelor’s supervision at OsloMet.
Skills
Engineering and computing software
- Gensys
- Python
- MATLAB
- Octave
- Abaqus
- AutoCAD
- Esteem 8
- Codex
- Claude
Writing and productivity
- LaTeX
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Languages
- English
- Norwegian
- Mandarin
- Cantonese
- Malay
- Foochow
Publications
2026
- Thermo–hydro–mechanical simulation of frost-heave mitigation measures for railway culverts.
Tao, Rui; Hu, Zhicheng; Ghoreishian Amiri, Seyed Ali; Grimstad, Gustav; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Degago, Samson Abate; Pan, Yutao.
Transportation Geotechnics
- Challenges and Opportunities of Train Driving Automation in Open Networks: Train Drivers’ Insights.
Urassa, Patrick; Olsson, Nils Olof Emanuel; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Mandhaniya, Pranjal; Josue, Mugisho Mugaruka; Byegon, Danson.
Transportation Engineering
- Towards Predictive Railway Infrastructure Monitoring Using Axle Box Acceleration: A Case Study of the Otta Bridge.
Caspersen, C.; Skjæveland, M.; Ursin, T.; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Railway Technology
- Monocular Camera Localization in Known Environments: An In-Depth Review.
Yan, Hailun; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Fan, Hongchao.
Applied Sciences
- Target Value Delivery for railway infrastructure – a semi-systematic literature review.
Lædre, Ragnhild Svarva; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Torp, Olav.
International Group for Lean Construction, 2026
- Subjectivity in ballast condition assessments: A study of visual inspection practices in Norway.
Husøy, Leiv Jørgen Tofte; Molvik, Thea Nesse; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Transportation Research Procedia
- Image analysis as an alternative to ballast grain size investigation.
Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Kværnstuen, Andreas Nedal; Husøy, Leiv Jørgen Tofte.
Transportation Research Procedia
- A comprehensive review of railway track condition monitoring: From sensor selection to data processing for defect-oriented, task-driven applications.
Hu, Zhicheng; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Tao, Rui; Liu, Yong; Pan, Yutao.
Journal of Railway Science and Technology
2025
- A Numerical Simulation Study on Vertical Vibration Response for Rail Squat Detection with a Train in Regular Traffic.
Hu, Zhicheng; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Infrastructures
- Expected Challenges and Anticipated Benefits of Implementing Remote Train Control and Automatic Train Operation: A Tramway Case Study.
Morin, Xavier; Olsson, Nils Olof Emanuel; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Future Transportation
- Evolution of isolated heaving defects for vertical rail displacements: a multi-disciplinary study.
Tao, Rui; Hu, Zhicheng; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Grimstad, Gustav; Pan, Yutao.
International Journal of Rail Transportation
- Monitoring of ground displacement-induced railway anomalies using PS-InSAR techniques.
Tao, Rui; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Mossefin, Mats Emil; Kong, Gefei; Nordal, Steinar; Pan, Yutao.
Measurement
- Evaluating Deep Learning Advances for Point Cloud Semantic Segmentation in Urban Environments.
Yan, Hailun; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Fan, Hongchao.
Kartographische Nachrichten
- Digital Twin Development for Test Site Foundation for Innovative Cost Effective Train Positioning Alignment.
Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Yan, Hailun.
Proceedings of the 5th SmartRaCon Scientific Seminar
2024
- A Review of Current Ballast Bed Assessment Practices Across the Nordic Countries.
Husøy, Leiv Jørgen; Lau, Albert; Hoff, Inge; Løhren, Alf Helge.
Civil- Comp Conferences
- Dynamic response of high-speed railway vehicle and welded turnout on large-span bridges based on rigid-flexible coupling system.
Cai, Xiaopei; Zhong, Zijie; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Zhang, Qian; Hou, Yue.
High-speed Railway
- Analysis of railway vehicle-track interaction performance in submerged floating tunnel subjected to wave excitations.
Song, Yang; Dai, Jian; Lau, Albert.
Ocean Engineering
- Managerial Challenges in Implementing European Rail Traffic Management System, Remote Train Control, and Automatic Train Operation: A Literature Review.
Morin, Xavier; Olsson, Nils Olof Emanuel; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Future Transportation
- Public preference and acceptability of the travel reservation strategy in Xi'an, China.
Zhou, Ruiyu; Chen, Hengrui; Chen, Hong; Lau, Albert.
Travel Behaviour & Society
- Understanding behavioral intentions in urban travel reservation: a combined model of rational motivation and social norms.
Chen, Hengrui; Zhou, Ruiyu; Chen, Hong; Lau, Albert.
Transportation planning and technology (Print)
- Railway Catenary Condition Monitoring: A Systematic Mapping of Recent Research.
Chen, Shaoyao; Frøseth, Gunnstein Thomas; Derosa, Stefano; Lau, Albert; Rønnquist, Anders.
Sensors
- Automatic Train Operation and Project Management: A Scoping Review.
Morin, Xavier; Olsson, Nils Olof Emanuel; Lau, Albert.
Procedia Computer Science
- Detecting lateral track irregularities by onboard measurements of lateral acceleration and displacements and machine learning algorithms.
Kaviani, Nadia; Rønnquist, Nils Erik Anders; Frøseth, Gunnstein Thomas; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Ricci, Stefano; Rizzetto, Luca.
Ingegneria Ferroviaria
- Performance measurement in railway remote driving implementations.
Urassa, Patrick Emanuel; Olsson, Nils Olof Emanuel; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Mandhaniya, Pranjal; Andersen, Bjørn Sørskot.
IET Intelligent Transport Systems
- Identification of optimal accelerometer placement on trains for railway switch wear monitoring via multibody simulation.
Hu, Zhicheng; Lau, Albert; Dai, Jian; Frøseth, Gunnstein Thomas.
Frontiers in Built Environment
- A schematic plan for train position identification using digital twin and positioning sensors.
Albert Lau; Hongchao Fan; Hailun Yan.
Transport Research Arena
2023
- Machine learning-based rail corrugation recognition: a metro vehicle response and noise perspective.
Cai, Xiaopei; Tang, Xueyang; Chang, Wenhao; Wang, Tao; Lau Leong Lee, Albert; Chen, Zhipei; Qie, Luchao.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
- Identification of Vibration Frequencies of Railway Bridges from Train-Mounted Sensors Using Wavelet Transformation.
Erduran, Emrah; Pettersen, Fredrik Marøy; Gonen, Semih; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Sensors
- Evaluation of Frequency Content of Accelerations Recorded on Trains Crossing Multi-span Bridges.
Erduran, Emrah; Gonen, Semih; Pettersen, Fredrik Marøy; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
2022
- A feasibility study of reduction of cross-section size of railway tunnels in relation to construction costs and environment emissions.
Moe, Britt Karin; Lau, Albert.
Eleventh International Conference on the Bearing Capacity of Roads, Railways and Airfields, Volume 2
- Static and dynamic resilience assessment for sustainable urban transportation systems: A case study of Xi 'an, China.
Chen, Hengrui; Zhou, Ruiyu; Chen, Hong; Lau, Albert.
Journal of Cleaner Production
- A resilience-oriented evaluation and identification of critical thresholds for traffic congestion diffusion.
Chen, Hengrui; Zhou, Ruiyu; Chen, Hong; Lau, Albert.
Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications
2021
- Deformation Law and Control Limit of CRTSIII Slab Track under Subgrade Frost Heave.
Cai, Xiaopei; Zhang, Qian; Zhang, Yanrong; Wang, Qihao; Luo, Bicheng; Yang, Guotao; Lau, Albert.
Applied Sciences
- Stange Overpass: Finite Element Model Updating of an Unconventional Railway Bridge.
Erduran, Emrah; Demirlioglu, Kültigin; Lau, Albert; Aziz, Kameran; Willoughby, Ian; Hyldmo, Endre; Arsenovic, Tomislav; Martinelli, Enzo.
Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
2019
- Integrated evaluation of energy and emission reduction potential and management strategies for urban road systems.
Anastasio, Sara; Wu, Shaopeng; Bohne, Rolf André; Passer, Alexander; Spaun, Sebastian; Kristensen, Terje; Li, Jiashuo; Xie, Jun; Kreiner, Helmuth; Hoff, Inge; Barbieri, Diego Maria; Vignisdottir, Hrefna Run; Lau, Albert; Amirkhanian, Serji N.; Hoxha, Endrit.
IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (EES)
- Influence of Evacuation Walkway Design Parameters on Passenger Evacuation Time along Elevated Rail Transit Lines Using a Multi-Agent Simulation.
Pan, Zihua; Wei, Qingchao; Torp, Olav; Lau, Albert.
Sustainability
- Uncertainty analysis of track degradation at railway turnouts aided by a multi-body simulation software.
Miguel, Alejandro De; Jacobsen, Frederik; Lau, Albert; Santos, Ilmar.
Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering
2018
- Numerical simulation of track settlements based on an iterative holistic approach.
Miguel, Alejandro De; Lau, Albert; Santos, Ilmar.
Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering
- Simulation of Train-Turnout Coupled Dynamics Using a Multibody Simulation Software.
Lau, Albert; Hoff, Inge.
Modelling and Simulation in Engineering
- A Methodology for Switch and Crossing Optimization.
Lau, Albert; Wan, Chang; Løhren, Alf Helge; Hoff, Inge.
ICRT 2017: Railway Development, Operations, and Maintenance
2017
- Numerical Simulation of Track Settlement Using a Multibody Dynamic Software: A Holistic Approach.
de Miguel Tejada, Alejandro; Lau, Albert; Santos, Ilmar; Fongemie, René.
Proceedings of the XVII International Symposium on Dynamic Problems of Mechanics (DINAME 2017)
2016
- Simulation of vehicle-track interaction in small radius curves and switches and crossings.
Lau, Albert; Kassa G, Elias.
Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Railway Technology
- Calculation of reasonable-longitudinal-continuous length for bed plate of CRTS III slab ballastless track.
Cai, Xiao-Pei; Zhao, Lei; Gao, Liang; Zhong, Yang-Long; Lau Leong Lee, Albert.
Jiaotong Yunshu Gongcheng Xuebao
2015
- Analysis of vehicle dynamic behavior under ballasted track irregularities in high-speed railway.
Cai, Xiaopei; Lau, Albert; Zhao, Lining; Tan, Shiyu; Cui, Rixin.
Noise & Vibration Worldwide
Associated doctoral research
- Hybrid Modeling for Robust Property Prediction in Circular Al–Mg–Si Extrusion.
Author: Christian Dalheim Øien.
Supervisors: Yutao Pan; Hongchao Fan; Albert Lau Leong Lee.
2026
- Enhancing Identification, Quantification, and Mitigation of Ground Displacement- Induced Railway Abnormalities in Norway Using Multi-Source Data.
Author: Rui Tao.
Supervisors: Yutao Pan; Albert Lau Leong Lee; Hongchao Fan.
2026
- Automation of Train Driving in an Open Railway Network: Technology, People, and Process.
Author: Patrick Urassa.
Supervisors: Nils Olof Emanuel Olsson; Albert Lau Leong Lee; Pranjal Mandhaniya.
2026
- Exploring the Managerial, Interorganizational, and Business Dimensions of Digital Transformation - Insights from railway automation projects.
Author: Xavier Morin.
Supervisors: Nils Olof Emanuel Olsson; Albert Lau Leong Lee.
2026
Last updated: 18 September 2026