The department "Cars" was founded in 1953. The head of the department then became associate professor Pavlo Shevchenko, who headed it for 29 years, giving all his powers and talent for the development of branch science and the training of qualified specialists in the carriage and carriage industry.

In the first years of the department's foundation together with Pavel Vasilyevich worked associate professor MF Feldman, assistant professor IV Antonov, assistant professor V.I. Babenko, senior lecturers K.G. Ril'kov, VI Maksakov

In 1964, the department established a unique research laboratory "Photovoltages", where it was possible to solve complex issues of increasing the strength of parts and units of cars and other structures. In the case of cars, research was carried out for heavy machinery and car-building plants. The polarization-optical method of the strength of the cylinder-piston group of engines was studied, and the regularity of the elastic state and the strength of the gas turbine blades fastening for the Kharkiv turbine plant was checked. He actively worked and organized the work of the Laboratory "Photomultiplication", associate professor of the department "Theoretical Mechanics" Y.B.Vol'kovych.

In June 1964, associate professor P.V. Shevchenko defended his doctoral dissertation, in 1965 he was awarded a scientific degree of the doctor of technical sciences and he was approved in the scientific rank of the professor of the department.

From 1982 to 1993 the department was headed by Candidate of Technical Sciences Associate Professor Valery Vasilievich Shevchenko, who graduated from KIIT in 1961 with the specialization "Car-building and car-building economy". In 1968 he defended his Ph.D. thesis. Since 1968 - associate professor of the department "Cars and carriage economy".

Valery Vasilyevich was one of the authors of the curriculum development for the specialty "Cars". Implementation of the principle of continuous training of students in the specialty led to the emergence of discipline "General structure of cars and railways." From 1983 for 10 years the discipline "Construction mechanics and reliability of cars" was taught, in 1985 the discipline "Systems of automated designing and the basis of scientific research of cars" was introduced.

Since the mid-1980s, the interaction of the institute and production has intensified. The department established branches in the car depot of Osnova and Kharkiv-passenger. Classes from the disciplines "Technology of wagon-building and repair of cars", "Wagon economy", "Automation and mechanization of repair of wagons" were conducted at the branch of the department, and a significant part of the training was carried out by the workers of production G.I. Dukanich and MK Kostenko.

From 1993 to 1998, the department was headed by Candidate of Technical Sciences, associate professor Anatoly Petrovich Gorbenko, graduate student of the Institute of Informatics and Informatics, 1962. In 1967 - 70 years - postgraduate student of KHIT. After graduating from the postgraduate studies and successfully defending his dissertation from 1971, he worked at the Institute of Chemistry in the positions of Assistant, Associate Professor of the Department "Cars". From 1976 to 1988 he was the dean of the faculty of advanced training of leading workers and specialists. In 1995 he was trained at the Swiss Federal Railways. He currently teaches the disciplines "Cars (design and calculations)" and "General structure of cars".

During the period from 1993 to 1998, the Department worked on further improvement of the educational process. Educational and professional programs were developed on the professional level of bachelor, specialist, master's degree. Introduced in the educational process work plans of different levels and terms of training. The organizational and methodical work on starting the state examinations at the educational level of the bachelor and specialist has been completed.

From 1999 to 2008, the department was headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Vladislav Fedorovich Golovko, a graduate of the 1967 HIIT, who since 1973 worked at the Institute. In 1975 he defended a candidate's degree, in 1999 - a doctoral dissertation. Specialist in the field of prediction of reliability and durability, technical diagnostics of nodes and rolling stock systems of railway transport.

He has published more than 80 scientific and methodological works, including three teaching aids: "Calculations of locomotive power plants during operation on operating regimes" (1990), "Modern Unified Systems of Electric Supply of Passenger Carriages" (2000), "Energy equipment of rolling stock of railways "(2004). I had eight copyright certificates for inventions.

Under his leadership three candidate theses were defended. He was a member of the specialized Academic Council for the protection of doctoral and master's theses at UkrDUZT, the Academic Council of the University and the Faculty of Mechanics. Honored Railroad, awarded with the Order of Honor and numerous certificates of Ministries and departments.

From 2007 till 1010 years the assistant of the department was assistant professor Vysnyak R.I. and professor Borzilov I.D.

Since September 2010 and to date, the head of the department is Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Martynov Igor Ernstovich. He was born in Kharkiv in 1962. In 1979 I entered the mechanical faculty of the Kharkov Institute of Railway Transport Engineers named after. S.M.Kirova, graduated with honors in 1984 in the specialty "Car-building and car-building economy". He began his career in August 1984 by the master of a car assembly plant at the Kharkov car repair factory. From 1984 to 1986 he served in the Soviet Army. From 1988 to 1991 he studied at the post-graduate course of the Moscow Institute of Railway Transport at the Department of "Cars and Carriage Economy". In 1991, he defended his thesis for the degree of the candidate of technical sciences on the topic "Increase of the operational reliability of rolling stock rolling stock" on the specialty "Rolling stock of railways and traction of trains"

Since February 1991 Currently, I. E. Martynov works at the Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport as an assistant, associate professor, doctor, head of the department. He is the author of over 100 scientific and methodological works, including 4 teaching aids with a stamp of the Ministry of Education.

In 2009 he defended a dissertation for obtaining a scientific degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences on the topic "Development of methods of calculation and testing of bucket bearing units of freight cars taking into account the peculiarities of their operation". In 2011 he received the academic title of professor.

He is the author of more than 90 scientific and methodological works, including 4 textbooks with a stamp of the Ministry of Education.

For a significant personal contribution to the implementation of the Program for the reduction of excessive wear and tear of wheels and rails, Martynov I. E. in 2006 was awarded the Diploma of the State Administration of Railway Transport of Ukraine. For fruitful work and significant contribution to the work of training railway transport specialists and improving their qualifications Martynov I. E. in 2010 was awarded the Diploma of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Ukraine. In 2011, it was celebrated with a name clock from the Southwest Railway.

The main scientific direction of the prof. Martynova I. E. - increase of reliability of the rolling stock knot units. Under the direction of prof. Martynova I. E. performed a complex of studies devoted to the choice of optimal design of a box bearing bearing unit of freight cars. The raised boot knots of the raised reliability, equipped with double-row bearings of the cassette type, are successfully operated on the wagons of the new generation on the railways of Ukraine.