| Railway Challenge | |
|---|---|
| Status | active |
| Genre | competition |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Stapleford Miniature Railway, Stapleford Park, Leicestershire |
| Coordinates | 52°45′25″N0°47′28″W / 52.757°N 0.791°W |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Inaugurated | 2012 |
| Previous event | 2025 |
| Next event | 2026 |
| Activity |
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| Organized by | Institution of Mechanical Engineers Railway Division |
| People |
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| Sponsors | |
| Website | www |
The IMechE Railway Challenge is a competition for teams of apprentices and students who compete to build and operate 1/5 scale railway locomotives in a number of challenges.
Events are organised by the Railway Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and have been held annually since 2012 at the Stapleford Miniature Railway, near Melton Mowbray, United Kingdom. [1]
The Railway Challenge was initially proposed by Simon Iwnicki to the IMechE Railway Division Board in 2010. The aim was to demonstrate to prospective young engineers that there were interesting and challenging careers in railway engineering and it was partly a response to the huge success of the Formula Student competition [2] where teams of University students design, build and compete with a small racing car.
A group was set up to prepare the rules and a short technical specification was drafted by Tim Poole from London Underground. It was decided that a ‘miniature’ gauge of 7 ¼ ” or 10 ¼ ” would be most suitable as this would result in locomotives of a manageable size and weight but that could incorporate real engineering systems. Former Railway Division Chair Cliff Perry led a review of all the suitable locations in Britain and a shortlist of four was drawn up:
For various reasons including the central location, the space available and the track layout, Stapleford Miniature Railway was selected. Following a discussion with Lady Gretton of the Stapleford Estate and members of the FSMR (Friends of Stapleford Miniature Railway) a contract was signed between the IMechE and the Estate and the first Railway Challenge competition took place in 2011 with a final in June 2012. Stapleford has proved to be the perfect location for the Challenge and the support provided by the Estate (now through Lord Gretton) and the FSMR has allowed the competition to develop and thrive.
Over 15 years the number of teams has grown progressively. Around 25 members of the Railway Division support the Railway Challenge and the organisation of the event has become established with the following structure:
The rules committee led by Tim Fairbrother review the rules each year and introduce new challenges to keep teams innovating and to represent the developments within the industry. The Railway Division Young Members (RDYM) provide support and arrange a social evening during the final.
The Track gauge is 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) with the test circuit consisting of an 800-metre (0.5 mi) descent through a tunnel, a 1.2-kilometre (0.75 mi) balloon loop and a return up the 800-metre-long (0.5 mi) 1-in-80 (1.25%) incline. [3]
During 2023‒2024 a new turntable with 21 sidings was constructed for use during the Railway Challenge. [4] [5] The turntable was opened by Lord Gretton and Alice Bunn for the 2025 event. [5]
Bridget Eickhoff from the Rail Safety and Standards Board acts as operational controller for Railway Challenge. [3] [4]
From 2019 onwards, teams have been required to produce an academic poster communicating the design of their locomotive [6]
Since 2019, an automatic stop test has been included, requiring locomotives to stop an exact distance after a marked position on the railway track. [6]
The 2025 challenge was won by the joint team of Network Rail & Colas Rail, with Nuremberg Institute of Technology second, and FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences third. [5]
The European Railway Challenge is organised at Kürnbach (Bad Schussenried) , Germany, on the 10+1⁄4 in (260 mm) track layout within the Oberschwäbisches Museumsdorf Kürnbach . [18] [19] The European Railway Challenge uses the same rules and is arranged a few weeks earlier, allowing teams the opportunity to practice and debug their equipment and techniques before travelling to Stapleford Park in England.
Interfleet Technology's Derby office won the inaugural … Manchester Metropolitan University (second place), … Birmingham University
Since 1999, [IMechE]'s Automobile Division has being doing so through the Formula Student Challenge … Railway Division held its first Railway Challenge which replaces the racing car with a 10¼" gauge miniature locomotive. … first locomotive built at Derby Locomotive Works for 45 years … four teams. Two were from universities - Birmingham and Manchester Metropolitan, one from industry - Interfleet, and an Independent team from Derby. … Bridget Eickhoff, IMechE Railway Division Chairman, expects there to be a larger number of entries next year [2013]
Stapleford Miniature Railway … station with various sidings and a turnaround triangle. … an 800-metre single line runs down a 1-in-80 gradient to a 1.2km balloon loop. … Bridget Eickhoff of RSSB, as the IMechE's operational controller, had the job of ensuring the challenge ran smoothly.
Richard Coleby, … [FSMR] provides a rescue locomotive, and a guard on each train. … all train movements are controlled by an FSMR controller who only accepts requests for movements from the Railway Challenge's operational controller, Bridget Eickhoff. Her role includes changing the operational plan as required, for example in the event of a locomotive failing or not being ready in time. … new turntable with 12 track spurs, and passive provision for another four. These will have hardstanding with each … to accommodate two locomotives … is expected to be operational for next year's [2024] Railway Challenge.
Network Rail and Colas Rail team … overall winners of Railway Challenge 2025, which took place between 26‒29 June 2025 at Stapleford Miniature Railway … second place were Team EAGLE from TH Nürnberg with the fh2rail team from FH Aachen landing third place … four teams enter the Entry Level category, … stepping stone towards a full entry … second year running a team from outside of Europe has taken part with Monash University's Monash Railway Express … 2025 event … opening of a turntable … unveiled by Lord Gretton, Railway Challenge Organising Committee Chair Simon Iwnicki and IMechE Chief Executive Alice Bunn. … number of locomotives … increased from the current limit of 14 to 30
introduction of a new auto–stop function element to the competition … locomotive to stop automatically as close as possible to a marked point on the track. … also … produce a technical poster
Huddersfield University (first place); Manchester Metropolitan University (second place); the Interfleet Graduate Team (third) and Birmingham University with their hydrogen/electric hybrid locomotive (fourth).
took third place at … fourth annual IMechE … Railway Challenge, at Stapleford Miniature Railway … first year that a Southampton team had entered the competition.
Transport for London (TfL) has won … for the second year running. … Interfleet Technology Ltd (2nd), and the University of Southampton (3rd), as well as the University of Birmingham, University of Huddersfield, University of Sheffield, and TE Connectivity of Swindon.
took place 2‒3 July [2016] … new 'Innovation Challenge' … academic paper … results in full …
new entrants … Newcastle University, Queen Mary University and Lenz Ltd.
