IMechE Technical Tour 2025

ITINERARY

Day 0 – Delegates travel to Leiden

Delegates have day one to make their own way to Leiden by the evening, it is recommended that people travel via the Eurostar to Amsterdam, where you can change for a local train to Leiden.

Day 1 – Rail systems of Amsterdam

From our hotel in Leiden we have a full day planned to include a tour of the Amsterdam Centraal station redevelopment project, followed by a visit to the Amsterdam tram system. An opening dinner will take place in the evening, courtesy of Eversholt Rail.

Day 2 – Rotterdam Port and the BETUWEROUTE

Another full day is planned from Leiden, firstly to visit the Port of Rotterdam, before an afternoon exploring the Betuwelijn railway, carrying freight to and from the ports. Later there is a visit to the Dutch Railway Museum in Utrecht.

Day 3 – Dutch Railway systems, in-cab signalling, yellow machines and the sleeper train

We leave Leiden in the morning to visit the ProRail Headquarters in Utrecht to learn about the Dutch Railway infrastructure. This is followed by a short trip to Amersfoort where we are visiting the RailCenter to explore the ETRMS lab, Simulation lab and Rail Field lab. Later in the afternoon we visit the Eurail Scout maintenance facility to view their ‘yellow machines’ being inspected and maintained, including the Measurement Train of TU Delft. In the evening, we catch the NightJet sleeper train to Munich.

Day 4 – Munich rail vehicle component factory, and a visit to the redevelopment of Stuttgart 21 station

Arriving into Munich, we will have had breakfast on the sleeper train and then transfer by U-Bahn to the Knorr-Bremse HQ and R&D facility. An ICE will take us to Stuttgart in the afternoon, where we will tour the huge Stuttgart 21 station redevelopment project, supplemented by a visit to the impressive scale model of the existing station and its yards. Later we check into our hotel for one night in Stuttgart.

Day 5 - Siegen and bogie manufacture

On this day we catch an early ICE train to Siegen. In Siegen, we will tour the Alstom bogie manufacturing facility, before checking into our hotel in Hagen.

Day 6 – Schwebebahn, trolleybuses and into France

The day starts by catching a Regional train to Wuppertal where we ride the length of the Wuppertal Suspension Railway (Schwebebahn), prior to an introductory talk and visit to the maintenance depot. At lunchtime, we experience the Solingen Trolleybus system, followed by a train journey to Lille in France, where we check in for two nights. The first evening here is free to explore.

Day 7 – Technicentre and closing evening

For the penultimate day, we start by taking the metro to Hellemmes for an all-day tour of the SNCF Technicentre. This will include industrial production and the engineering studies, materials improvement and projects department. We return to our hotel before attending the closing dinner, hosted by Angel Trains.

Day 8 – Eurotunnel Maintenance Facility and onward travel

On the final day of the tour, a coach takes us directly to the Coquelles Eurotunnel maintenance facility. After our visit to the Eurotunnel workshops, we rejoin our coach to go through the tunnel and back to the UK, arriving in Folkestone Central station where the tour will end at approximately 4pm UK time. Alternatively, it will be possible for delegates to transfer to Calais and make their own arrangements from there.

PLEASE NOTE: The above itinerary may be subject to change.