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Engineering
the Future
of Rail

The first Portuguese student team competing in the IMechE Railway Challenge, designing, building and testing reduced-scale electric locomotives.

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+30Team Members
10¼"Track Gauge
001Locomotive
2025/26 Season Progress

Who We Are

Student-built.
Rail-focused.

ISTrain is the first Portuguese student team dedicated to competing in international railway challanges. Founded in 2024 at IST, we design, build and test reduced-scale electric locomotives.

🏆
IMechE Railway Challenge

The most prestigious student railway engineering competition in the UK.
⚡
Alpha Trains European Railway Challenge

The Alpha Trains European Railway Challenge is a European competition in Germany that challenges young talent to develop innovative solutions for the rail industry.

Meet Andorinha
10¼" Gauge300 kgFull Electric

The Locomotive

Meet Andorinha

Introduction of the first prototype 19 September 2025. A reduced-scale electric locomotive built entirely by students, competing at IMechE 2026.

10¼"Track Gauge
EVPowertrain
300 kgVehicle Mass
Jun 2026Competition

The Team

The People Behind the Machine

ISTrain 25/26 Team
ISTrain 25/26 Team · IST Lisboa · Click to meet the team

Partners

Our Sponsors

Platinum
Siemens
Founding
PFP
Gold
CP 4x4 Multitrabalhos MCG
Santander Universidades Cadflow
Silver
Coficab Emmad Caixa Geral de Depositos
Institutional
AEIST Técnico Lisboa

Become a Sponsor

Connect your brand with the future of railway engineering in Portugal.

Contact

Get in Touch

Join our team, partner with us, or learn more about what we are building.

✉istrain@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa
@istrain_lisboa linkedin.com/company/IStrain

Who We Are

About ISTrain

Our Mission

The First Portuguese
Railway Engineering Team

ISTrain is a railway engineering student team from Instituto Superior Tecnico. Founded in 2024, we are the first Portuguese student team competing in the IMechE Railway Challenge.

Our mission is to design, build, test, and compete with an innovative reduced-scale locomotive, advancing railway technology through engineering and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Innovation

Pushing boundaries in railway engineering.

Sustainability

Fully electric, zero emissions.

Excellence

Highest standards in engineering quality.

Collaboration

Multidisciplinary team, one goal.

ISTrain 25/26 Team
ISTrain 25/26 Team · IST Lisboa

History

How It All Began

ISTrain was born from the initiative of a small group of students encouraged by Professor Hugo Magalhaes. With no existing railway-focused student group in Portugal, ISTrain began from scratch, driven by enthusiasm and the desire to represent the country on an international stage.

Since its founding in December 2024, the team has united more than 30 students from multiple backgrounds with one shared goal: Andorinha.

Our Teams

Season Teams

ISTrain Board
ISTrain Board · IST Lisboa
Miguel Meninas
Miguel Meninas
Vice President
Aliya Ibrahimo
Aliya Ibrahimo
President

Click any department to meet the current 25/26 team.

ISTrain 24/25 Team
ISTrain 24/25 Team · Design Freeze, September 2025

Locomotive 001

Meet Andorinha
IST Lisboa · Introduction of the first prototype 19 Sep 2025 · IMechE Competition June 2026

The Name

Andorinha

When the Portuguese railway network began taking shape in the mid-19th century, Andorinha became a symbol of speed and national pride. Named after the swift swallow, it reflected the spirit of innovation of Portugal's early railway engineers.

Today, ISTrain carries that spirit forward. A reduced-scale electric locomotive built entirely by students, from concept sketch to competition platform.

Engineering

Key Characteristics

01
🏃
Iberian First
First reduced-scale railway locomotive developed in the Iberian Peninsula, where every decision is made by human engineers.
02
🌬
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamically optimised bodyshell designed for high airflow efficiency and structural performance under competition loading.
03
⚡
Electric Drive
Full electric drivetrain targeting strong traction performance and energy efficiency, evaluated by the IMechE jury across multiple categories.
04
📈
Spec Compliant
10¼-inch gauge platform fully compliant with IMechE Railway Challenge technical specification and safety requirements.
05
🎓
Student-Built
Designed, manufactured and tested entirely by IST students, from concept sketch to live competition evaluation.

Partners

Our Sponsors

Platinum
Siemens
Founding
PFP
Gold
CP 4x4 Multitrabalhos MCG
Santander Universidades Cadflow
Silver
Coficab Emmad Caixa Geral de Depositos
Institutional
AEIST Técnico Lisboa

Become a Sponsor

Connect your brand with the future of railway engineering in Portugal and beyond.

The Competition

IMechE Railway
Challenge

Time Remaining

Competition Countdown

24 June 2026 · Stapleford Miniature Railway, UK

000Days
00Hours
00Minutes
00Seconds

About the Challenge

What is the IMechE Railway Challenge?

The IMechE Railway Challenge is one of the most demanding student engineering competitions in the railway sector.

Teams design, manufacture and demonstrate a 10¼-inch gauge reduced-scale locomotive, evaluated by an expert jury across multiple categories.

A National First

ISTrain is the first Portuguese university team ever to enter the IMechE Railway Challenge.

Visit IMechE Website →

Scoring Categories

How We Are Evaluated

C1
Auto-Stop
300
Automatic emergency stopping system tested on the live track.
C2
Ride Comfort
300
Vibration, noise and passenger experience during operation.
C3
Energy Storage
300
Battery system design, energy density and charge management.
C4
Traction
300
Pulling force, acceleration and maximum speed on the test track.
C5
Reliability
250
Starting score with deductions for each engineering challenge failure.
C6
Maintainability
300
Ease of component access, repair and maintenance during operation.
C7
Autocoupler
150
Automatic coupling mechanism design and live demonstration.
C8
Aerodynamic Drag
150
Drag coefficient measurement and aerodynamic optimisation evidence.
C9
Ride-on Loco
250
Carrying a passenger on a reduced-scale seating arrangement.
C10
Location Announce
150
Automated announcements of station locations during operation.
C11
Remote Data
60
Live telemetry streaming speed, current and system status remotely.
C12
Design Challenge
scaled
Technical design documentation benchmarked against best team.
C13
CAD Entry
scaled
3D CAD model quality, completeness and engineering accuracy.
C14
Business Case
scaled
Commercial viability analysis and professional team presentation.
C15
Aesthetic & Poster
scaled
Visual identity, livery design and competition poster quality.
C16
Innovation
scaled
Novel engineering approaches and creative solutions beyond the brief.

Join the Team

Join ISTrain

We are looking for IST students passionate about railway engineering, innovation, and sustainable mobility. Joining means hands-on projects, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and contributing to a locomotive evaluated on an international stage.

Apply to Join ISTrain

Applications are announced on our social media — reach out via email or social channels to join the team.

Follow on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Contact via Email

Latest

News & Updates

Press Coverage

In the News

ISTrain at Técnico Open Day 2026
18 April 2026
Técnico welcomed over 3,300 visitors to its largest Open Day ever

ISTrain at the open day 2026 at Técnico. The event brought thousands of visitors to the Alameda campus to interact with innovative projects and research student activities.

Read Full Article →
ISTrain Andorinha launch news
22 September 2025
ISTrain launches the Andorinha reduced-scale electric locomotive

ISTrain unveiled Andorinha, Loco 001 at IST on 19 September 2025. The reduced-scale electric locomotive competes at the IMechE Railway Challenge in June 2026.

Read Full Article →
ISTrain student group news
7 May 2025
New student group aims to bring Técnico closer to rail

A new student group at IST challenges students to innovate in rail transportation. ISTrain is born, dedicated to the IMechE Railway Challenge.

Read Full Article →

Team Activity

Monthly Updates

General
May 2026 Design Sprint at IST
Apr 2026 Team excursion to 4x4 Multitrabalhos in Setúbal
Apr 2026 Team excursion to Coficab in Guarda
Mar 2026 Design Sprint at IST
Feb 2026 Design Sprint at IST
Jan 2026 Team excursion to the CP workshop at Entroncamento and meeting railway engineers.
Marketing, Operations & Logistics
Apr 2026 Extensive media coverage of team excursions
Mar 2026 Released the ISTrain quarter zipper merchandise
Mar 2026 Participated in key events such as Semana Aeroespacial, MECANIST, JEEC, JET, and AEIST Welcome Week
Feb 2026 Released new ISTrain stickers, distributed to team members and at networking events at IST Lisboa.
Structures & Aerodynamics
Apr 2026 Supported production and refined remaining subsystems, such as structural supports
Mar 2026 Designed missing subsystems and validated engineering analyses
Feb 2026 Ordered locomotive components from sponsors and suppliers
Jan 2026 Validated structural subsystems, including coupling and jacking systems
Powertrain & Energy Systems
Apr 2026 Redesigned the energy recovery system and started writing the design report
Mar 2026 Continued SOC system testing and selected additional minor components
Feb 2026 Received key components, started software development, and began testing the SOC system
Vehicle Dynamics
Apr 2026 Reworked axlebox and wheelset designs according to the new bearing selection
Feb 2026 Reworked the pneumatic braking system using proportional valve technology
Jan 2026 Started the manufacture of the bogie structure
Electronics & Software
Mar 2026 Proof of Concepts: Validation of two key locomotive systems with newly arrived components from Mouser Electronics
Feb 2026 Remote Communication: Creation of a remote controller using the ESP-NOW protocol
Feb 2026 Wireless Testing: Achieved over 80 m communication range using internal microcontroller antennas
Jan 2026 Motor Controller: Building of a motor controller using switches to regulate current flow
Jan 2026 CAN BUS: Development and testing of a 3-node CAN BUS for locomotive internal communication

Official Store

ISTrain Merchandise

ISTrain Polo
ISTrain Polo

Black polo shirt with blue cuffs, featuring sponsor logos on the back.

Order via Contact
ISTrain Quarter Zip
ISTrain Quarter Zip

Clean black quarter zip with team branding and sponsor logos.

Order via Contact

Reach Out

Get in Touch

✉
Email
istrain@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
Address
Av. Rovisco Pais 1
1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
🔗
Social Media