New learning paradigm in higher education means new approaches and teaching methods are used in vocational training, these include new specialities introducing, interdisciplinary educational projects within the multidisciplinary students teams developing, flipped learning, digitalization of education, and other learning methods implementation. This also means that the role of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) as an educational subject at the university changes significantly. For sure, students majoring in engineering specialities should study English for Specific Purposes (ESP) within the course of English as a Foreign Language in order to read papers, magazines and manuscripts in their subject area, as well as to communicate with the peers on professionally oriented topics being ready to work over international projects related to railway transport such as new units of rolling stock development, international freight and passenger transportation, international transport corridors, international logistics, ecological issues of international value, and in the international teams. This paper discusses the Russian University of Transport expertise in the ESP within the EFL course for students majoring in railroad specialities creation in the context of the University Strategic Development Program. The research includes a thorough examination of the freshmen common reference level, the students and stakeholders' interests and needs in professionally oriented communication within the new learning paradigm, selection of the discourse themes to be included into the syllabus, and the ESP online course relevance in the context of future experts and leaders of transformations in the transport sector vocational training. The selected themes were examined from the point of view of their motivating potential using the Computer Aided Quality Data-Analysis Software NVivo. The results obtained proved the students' ability to study ESP and discovered the most motivating for them railway discourse themes. © 2022 IEEE.
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