With the organization of HIIT in 1930, the Department “The Engine Farm” was created among the first departments. At the beginning of the 1936/37 school year, on the orders of the Head of the Institute No. 286, this department was allocated to an independent department “Organization of rolling stock repair,” headed by engineer V.Ya. Zhuravlev.

In 1942, the department was renamed the department "Organization of production at steam-engine repair factories," the head of which was appointed Professor A.I. Dovzhenko, and in 1943 this department was renamed the "Repair Plants".

The department of locomotive economy was also renamed into the department "Operation of rolling stock", the head of which was Associate Professor I.A. Potapov.

In September 1956, these two departments were merged into one under the name "Maintenance and repair of rolling stock." the first head of which was associate professor M.Y. Frankov.

Since 1986, the head of the department was Academician of Ukraine, Doctor of Technical Sciences E.D. Tartakovski. Since 2017, the head of the department is a doctor of technical sciences, prof. V.G. Puzyr.