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

2026/27 Season Progress

Who We Are

Student-built.
Rail-focused.

ISTrain is the first Portuguese student team dedicated to competing in international railway challenges. 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.

See IMechE 2026 Railway Challenge results of ISTrain

⚡

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.

10¼" Gauge 300 kg Full Electric

The Locomotive

Meet Andorinha

Introduction of the first prototype on the 19th of September 2025. A reduced-scale electric locomotive built entirely by students, competing at IMechE 2026 and the Alpha Trains European Railway Challenge.

10¼"Track Gauge

EVPowertrain

300 kgVehicle Mass

Jun 2026Competition

The Team

The People Behind the Machine

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

Partners

Our Sponsors

Platinum

Founding

Gold

Silver

Institutional

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/istrainlisboa

Who We Are

About ISTrain

Our Mission

The First Portuguese
Railway Engineering Team

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

5

International Awards

Recognized Excellence on the Global Stage

Since our foundation, ISTrain has continuously pushed the boundaries of railway innovation. Our technical rigor and engineering performance have earned us 5 prestigious international awards in the IMechE Railway Challenge.

Organization

Our Departments

Structure & Dynamics

Responsible for structural integrity, chassis design, crashworthiness, and mechanical simulation to ensure safety and stability.

Powertrain & Energy Systems

Focuses on high-efficiency electric motors, battery packs, energy management, and thermal cooling for maximum performance.

Vehicle Dynamics

Optimizes suspension systems, wheel-rail interaction, braking dynamics, and vehicle handling on track.

Electronics & Software

Develops custom PCBs, autonomous driving algorithms, real-time telemetry, and embedded software for full locomotive control.

Marketing & Operations

Manages corporate partnerships, media content, public relations, event logistics, and financial planning.

The People

Meet Our Team

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.

Platinum

Founding

Gold

Silver

Institutional

Become a Sponsor

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

Time Remaining

Competition Countdown

24 June 2027 · Stapleford Miniature Railway, UK

000Days

00Hours

00Minutes

00Seconds

Our Achievements

IMechE Railway Challenge 2026 Results

Click on a trophy to celebrate our team's victories!

🏆

Best Entry-Level Team

Recognizing the top-performing newcomer team for execution, teamwork, and track performance.

🏆

Entry-Level Innovation Challenge

Awarded for engineering ingenuity, creative problem-solving, and novel design elements in the locomotive.

🏆

Entry-Level Tech & Poster

Recognizing excellence in visual communication, technical clarity, and aesthetic design presentation.

🏆

CAD Challenge

Honoring precision engineering, meticulous digital modeling, and robust virtual architecture.

🏆

Overall Business Case

Awarded for the most viable, well-researched, and professionally presented commercial strategy.

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.

Organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the competition brings together teams to 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.

Time Remaining

Competition Countdown

28–30 May 2027 · Bad Schussenried, Germany

000Days

00Hours

00Minutes

00Seconds

About the Challenge

What is the European Railway Challenge?

The European Railway Challenge (ERWC) is the first European continental engineering competition, gathering ambitious university teams from across Europe to build and test 10¼" gauge locomotives.

Held annually in Bad Schussenried, Germany, the event combines demanding dynamic track challenges with engineering assessments under the backing of industry giants like Alpha Trains, Stadler, VDB, and TÜV SÜD.

Main Sponsor & Venue

Supported by main sponsor Alpha Trains, ISTrain joins the intense 10-month development and live track testing cycle to compete in the European Railway Challenge.

Explore Alpha Trains European Railway Challenge →

Competition Disciplines

How We Are Evaluated

E1

Autostop Challenge

Vision

Autonomous machine vision detects track signs and stops at exact target distances.

E2

Ride Comfort

Comfort

Tri-axial acceleration sensor measurement to evaluate suspension smoothness.

E3

Energy Storage

Eco

Regenerative energy braking recovery; maximum distance covered solely on saved energy.

E4

Traction Challenge

Traction

Maximum acceleration from standstill managing torque and wheel-slip control.

E5

Reliability

1 Hour

Continuous 1-hour endurance run without fault, overheating, or battery recharge.

E6

Maintainability

Pitstop

Timed pitstop challenge disassembling and reassembling a complete wheelset.

E7

Auto-Coupler

Demo

Hands-free automatic mechanical and electrical locomotive coupling mechanism.

E8

Aero Drag

Aero

Co-efficient drag reduction and body shell aerodynamic efficiency analysis.

E9

Ride-on Passenger

Seating

Integration of passenger transport ergonomics and safety systems.

E10

Location Announce

Audio

Automated station location announcements and passenger information displays.

E11

Remote Data

IoT

Real-time telemetry streaming for remote system diagnostic monitoring.

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.

Choose Your Path