The purpose of the work is to identify and substantiate the features of a competent approach in determining the purpose, tasks, content and technology of education in the field of physical education of students of railway educational institutions. Materials and methods. The students of management and construction specialties, mechanical engineers of the Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport took part in the pedagogical experiment. 31 students were included in the experimental group and other 31 students were the control group. Research methods: analysis of scientific and methodological literature, questionnaires, pedagogical observation, testing, method of mathematical statistics with subsequent data processing and pedagogical experiment. Results. A methodology has been developed for the organization and maintenance of professionally applied physical training for future railway transport specialists on the basis of the implementation of training modules that are aimed at in depth theoretical and methodological training for the formation of professional orientations and motivations, the development of professionally important motor abilities according to the grade- rating system for assessing success. After the pedagogical experiment, 30% of the students of the experimental group improved the level indicators of theoretical and methodological preparation. At the end of the pedagogical research, the students of the experimental group show high motivation while hitting the qualifying standards according to the grade- rating system (р<0,05). The results of testing the experimental group are significantly better than in the control one. This system allows to focus attention on the functional preparedness of the future specialist of railway transport. The improvement of the testing procedure within the framework of the grade- rating system is associated with the correct distribution of the results of the control standards with further motivation to improve the results to achieve the maximum grade.