enGauged, a rail infrastructure design practice based in Crewe, recently raised an incredible £435 as part of the Station to Station Challenge, an initiative that brought teams across the railway industry together to support the Railway Benefit Fund (RBF).
Steve Whitmore, Managing Director at enGauged, is a chartered engineer with 41 years of rail industry experience and a former president of the Permanent Way Institution. In this article, he discusses the positive impact the challenge had on their team and their motivation behind supporting the railway community.
The Railway Benefit Fund is a remarkable charity dedicated to supporting current, former and retired railway workers and their families across the UK. As a company deeply involved in the rail community, RBF is one of the charities we actively support at enGauged. We were delighted to participate in the Station to Station Challenge.
The challenge took place from 22nd April to 13th May, with sixteen teams of six across the rail industry participating in a virtual step challenge. Our collective goal was to walk between Inverness and Glasgow, visiting 23 stations across Scotland, Wales and England over a three-week period. Team members tracked their real-world activity along a virtual route in a step challenge app, moving along a map of the UK and reaching key station milestones along the way.
In addition to our daily lunchtime walks, our team organised a charity walk on Tuesday 7th May, along part of the Conwy Valley Way. We used the rail services of our friends at Transport for Wales to complete the round trip back to our HQ in Crewe within 12 hours.
We caught the 07:21 train from Crewe Station and travelled to Betws-y-Coed to begin a challenging walk back north to Tal-y-Cafn. Covering the route, in railway terms, from ELR LJT1 15m 02ch to 5m 05ch, we used B roads and public rights of way to the west of the River Conwy, completing nearly 15 miles. Our goal to finish the round trip from Crewe within 12 hours was a success, as we returned to Crewe Station at 19:19, two minutes before our target time!
One notable positive effect of the challenge was the impact on our team. Even just getting out at lunchtime, walking and spending time together made a significant difference to our mental health. The charity walk was also a fantastic experience for bringing our team together. As a smaller team, we work collaboratively on a daily basis, but it was a great experience to get outside together in the name of friendly competition with our fellow teams.
Not only did we get to stretch our legs and enjoy some beautiful scenery, but we also supported a cause that truly makes a difference in the lives of railway workers and their families.
The camaraderie and commitment from everyone at enGauged was amazing, and we’re proud to have contributed to the Railway Benefit Fund. We are already looking forward to next year’s challenge.
In total, the sixteen teams collectively raised £5,140 in the Station to Station Challenge. Together, we covered 11,920 miles and took an incredible 26,938,077 steps!
To learn about enGauged’s rail infrastructure design services, click here. To donate to the Railway Benefit Fund, click here.
