Between 25 and 28 June, ISTrain, Técnico’s student group dedicated to the design and construction of electric locomotives, took part in the MechE Railway Challenge 2026 for the first time. The team entered the competition with its Loco01 "Andorinha" prototype, developed over the past year. The event took place at the Stapleford Miniature Railway in Leicestershire, United Kingdom.

In addition to winning the Entry Level category, the team also received awards in the Innovation Challenge, the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Challenge, which required the complete 3D modelling of the locomotive, the Business Case Challenge, which assessed the team's business model, and the Technical Poster and Project Aesthetics Challenge.

The team has already expressed its intention to compete in next year's edition in the Standard category, where fully operational locomotive models are entered.

The "Andorinha" locomotive will be presented to the community on 29 September in the Main Hall of the Alameda campus.

News: Técnico

Photo: Will Amlot