Bombardier Transportation offers Mechanical Engineering students real world rail experience in national competition

Mechanical Engineering students at the University of Derby joined forces with world-leading rail manufacturer Bombardier Transportation for a taste of the real world last week (July 6), as they took part in the annual Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Railway Challenge.

The challenge brings together teams of university students, graduates and apprentices working in the industry and requires the team to design and manufacture a miniature railway locomotive.

In the overall Railway Challenge, the Bombardier-University team placed a credible fourth. They also received the Judges Award for an astounding first entry and collaboration between the two organisations, and had the quietest locomotive in the Noise Challenge.

Steve Hill, Programme Leader for MSc Motorsport Engineering, said: “This was the first time a team of students from the University of Derby and Graduates from Bombardier Transportation has taken part in the IMechE Railway Challenge and they performed exceptionally well.

“It’s great to work collaboratively with a major manufacturer and the team were a credit to both Bombardier and the University. The design concept was fantastic and they executed the build process with a positive attitude even when faced by major obstacles. The team will come away from this process with well-developed skills and a deeper sense of character.

“The locomotive will now be stripped so that the team can evaluate the construction and systems and identify areas for improvement. It will then be reassembled to be displayed at the University’s Markeaton Street site to inspire the future generations of engineering students in Derby, and used by Bombardier to raise awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers”.

Find out more about studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Derby.