Founded in 1958, the School of Automation and Electrical Engineering at Lanzhou Jiaotong University is one of the five original departments established when the university was first founded. Its predecessor, the Department of Electrical Engineering, was formed in 1958 through the relocation and consolidation of faculty from Beijing Railway Institute (now Beijing Jiaotong University) and Tangshan Railway Institute (now Southwest Jiaotong University) to Lanzhou.

Over the past 66 years, the school has overcome numerous challenges, driven by the needs of the nation and industry. With a focus on teaching, research, and the cultivation of high-quality talent, the school has remained committed to contributing to both society and the local economy through its educational and developmental efforts.

Under the guidance of a distinguished generation of scholars, the school has focused on teaching and research as its core mission. Its overarching goal has been to build a regionally distinguished institution of the highest caliber. The school has made remarkable progress in talent development, scientific research, social service, international exchange, and the preservation and innovation of cultural heritage.

Adhering to the principles of connotative development, the school has outlined a strategic path for its growth. This includes the development of a strong brand for its Railway Transportation Signal and Control program, the distinctive advancement of its Automation program, the rapid growth of its Electrical Engineering program, and the establishment of a solid foundation in Electrical Engineering. The school is committed to cultivating a specialized cluster of disciplines that integrates railway signaling, railway electrification, and locomotive and rolling stock control technology. By doing so, it strives to build high-level teaching and research teams, while fostering the development of high-quality talent to contribute to the railway transportation industry and local economic growth.

The school currently employs 120 faculty and staff members, including 22 doctoral supervisors, 28 professors, and 40 associate professors and senior engineers. Among the faculty, 113 hold doctoral or master’s degrees.

The faculty includes one recipient of the national "May 1st Labor Medal," one selected for the National "Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand Talent Program," One won the honorary title of National Outstanding Teacher, and two were awarded as Outstanding Backbone Teachers in National Higher Education Institutions. three winners of the "Mao Yisheng Railway Science and Technology Award," three recipients of the "Zhan Tianyou Railway Science and Technology Award," one recognized as a "Gansu Province Science and Technology Contributor," one "Top-Tier Leading Talent" in Gansu Province, four selected as "Leading Science and Technology Talent" in Gansu Province, four named "Gansu Province Teaching Masters," four Gansu Province "Feitian Scholars" Distinguished Professors, and two recipients of the "Cao Jianyou Education Award".

The school currently has 746 full-time master's and doctoral students and 2,210 undergraduate students.

The school currently offers one doctoral program in a first-level discipline (Electrical Engineering), three doctoral programs in second-level disciplines (Traffic Information Engineering and Control, Rail Transit Electrical Automation, and Traffic Equipment Testing and Control Engineering), two master's programs in first-level disciplines (Control Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering), and three master's programs in second-level disciplines (Traffic Information Engineering and Control, Rail Transit Electrical Automation, and Traffic Equipment Testing and Control Engineering). Additionally, the school offers three categories of professional master's degree programs (fields) in Transportation, Energy and Power/Electrical Engineering, and Electronic Information/Control Engineering.

The school is home to three provincially recognized key disciplines (Electrical Engineering, Traffic Information Engineering and Control, and Control Science and Engineering). Furthermore, one of its discipline clusters has been selected for the Gansu Province First-Class Discipline Construction Program.

The school offers three undergraduate programs: Railway Transportation Signal and Control, Automation, and Electrical Engineering and Automation, all of which have been recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Programs. The Electrical Engineering and Automation, and Railway Transportation Signal and Control programs are designated as national distinctive programs, while the Automation program is a provincial-level distinctive program. The Electrical Engineering and Automation program has been selected as a high-level "New Engineering Disciplines" program in Gansu Province. Both the Automation and Electrical Engineering and Automation programs have received accreditation from the China Engineering Education Accreditation.

The school’s "Virtual Teaching and Research Office for Railway Transportation Signal and Control" has been approved as a pilot project by the Ministry of Education. The Electrical Engineering Teaching and Research Office has been recognized as an outstanding grassroots teaching organization in Gansu Province. Additionally, the school has established two provincial-level Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centers, and its teaching teams for Electrical Engineering, Urban Rail Transit Signal and Control, and core courses in Electrical Engineering and Automation have been selected as provincial-level teaching teams. Three of the school’s courses have been recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Courses, while 22 courses have been awarded Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Course status. One course has been selected as a model course for integrating ideological and political education in Gansu Province, and the school has been granted a research project on curriculum-based ideological and political education.The Electrical Engineering and Automation program is among the first pilot programs for the national "Excellent Engineer" initiative. The Railway Transportation Signal and Control and Automation programs offer specialized classes named after Mao Yisheng. As a result, graduates from the school are highly sought after by employers.

The school currently hosts 2 National "Changjiang Scholars" Innovation Teams, 2 Provincial Basic Research Innovation Groups, 1 National Railway Administration Key Industry Laboratory, 6 provincial research platforms, and 12 research institutes. Aligned with the national strategy, the school focuses on addressing the talent development needs of this sector, strengthening key disciplines, and advancing national first-class programs. The school actively engages in scientific research and the application of technology in areas such as railway transportation operation control, railway traction power supply, four-electric engineering management for railways, electrical equipment characteristic analysis and structural design, intelligent and connected transportation, and industrial internet.

Over the past decade, the school has received 21 provincial and ministerial-level science and technology awards. The school publishes over 100 SCI- and EI-indexed papers annually in journals such as Automation Journal, Railway Journal, and Journal of Electrical Engineering. In the past decade, it has been granted more than 30 National Natural Science Foundation projects and over 150 other provincial and ministerial-level research projects.

With a strong focus on railway transportation, the school is committed to serving the western region while fulfilling its broader mission as a university. It continuously enhances its contribution to the regional innovation system and strengthens university-industry collaboration. The school partners with organizations such as the China Academy of Railway Sciences, China Railway First Survey and Design Institute, Gansu Electric Power Research Institute, CRSC Group, and Zhonghe Technology on technological innovation and the commercialization of research results, completing over 200 collaborative projects. It also works closely with China National Railway Group, subway companies, China Railway, CRCC, and the Railway BIM Alliance to conduct personnel training and talent development, having successfully delivered over 50 training programs.

Under the strong leadership of the university’s Party Committee and administration, the school has aligned its efforts with the "1152" development goals The school is committed to contributing to the university's vision of becoming a high-level institution with clearer regional advantages and distinctive educational features, while enhancing its ability to serve the economic and social development of Gansu Province and the innovative growth of the railway transportation industry, thereby making a significant contribution to the development of China’s transportation .