About the Railway Challenge

The Railway Challenge, organised by our Railway Division, provides a brilliant opportunity for aspiring teams of university students, as well as apprentices and graduates working in industry across the world to test their business acumen, design ability and technical skills in a live test environment.

The Railway Challenge, organised by our Railway Division, provides a brilliant opportunity for aspiring teams to compete in yet another challenging industry-specific competition, showcasing their skills, expertise, knowledge, and business acumen.


Each annual Challenge cycle kicks-off in October, ending with a final event in late June/early July of the following year.


The Challenge, now in its sixteenth year, continues to bring together teams of university students, as well as apprentices and graduates working in industry across the world to test their business knowledge, design ability and technical skills in a live test environment.

Benefits of entering a team and competing in the Railway Challenge:

  • Develop and demonstrate technical, engineering design and manufacturing skills
  • Obtain practical and rounded railway engineering skills
  • Gain real-world engineering experience before stepping into a job
  • Learn and practice key soft skills such as team-working and time management alongside project management, budgeting and presentation skills. Becoming better equipped for a long-lasting career in engineering
  • Meet leading professionals in railway engineering and network with potential future employers

Integration with university curriculum and graduation scheme

The Challenge encourages participants to follow a systems engineering process, through requirements generation, design, manufacture, verification, and the final validation at the competition event.

The Challenge can be integrated into one or more units or coursework exercises for units covering:

  • Systems engineering
  • Team projects
  • Design projects
  • Research projects
  • Business/professional studies
  • Aerodynamics/performance
  • Structures/materials
  • Design/Manufacturing
  • Control/autonomy/robotics

Practical/lab exercises can be built around the testing skills needed. The Challenge provides a natural focus for team design or research projects. Advice is available from other universities and companies who have successfully integrated it into their degree/graduate scheme – get in touch with us for more information.