This unique Blended Intensive Program (BIP) merges hybrid learning with hands-on experience, aiming to deepen students' understanding of sustainable mobility and intercultural exchange. Coordinated by Grenoble INP-UGA, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech (UPC) and ULisboa, the U!Train initiative highlights the importance of rail transport in the context of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The journey not only serves as an educational experience but also as a practical demonstration of the benefits and challenges of green mobility in Europe.
Before boarding the train, participants engaged in online courses via the Metacampus platform, focusing on ecological travel and multicultural issues. Upon arrival in Barcelona, they participated in workshops and activities, including a culinary ice-breaking session and a tutorial on the Mapathon tool—a citizen science initiative developed by UPC to map accessibility challenges in real-time.
The journey will finish just before the European Mobility Week (September 16 to 24), when Unite! will present the U!Train Manifesto. This document will compile insights and recommendations from the students, urging EU policymakers, governments, and rail operators to enhance the European rail network. The manifesto will advocate for aligning sustainable transport strategies with the broader objectives of the European Green Deal and Fit for 55.
This is the first time that European university students will contribute, together, to analysing the possibilities of Sustainable Mobility in Europe. The program emphasizes the ecological journey by train, optimising the travel time for studies and activities. With the initiative, the alliance, which is firmly committed to the green mobility of European university students, wants to show in a practical way the benefits and shortcomings of the train journey and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, cultural exchange and European interconnection values defended by Unite!
The program
The 30 participating students of the nine Unite! universities have received an Interrail pass, offered by Unite! which provides them with access to the European rail network for the journey from their home university to Barcelona and from Grenoble to return to their home. On September 1, the 30 students will meet in Barcelona, the starting point of the U!Train. Before this date, they will have completed some online activities such as preliminary readings and a tutorial on the Mapathon tool. From August 26 to 30, they will participate in online courses on ecological travel and multicultural issues that will also serve to get to know each other before starting the trip.
The starting point of the U!Train was Barcelona, where the participants met on September 1 at the Faculty of Nautical of Barcelona (FNB) where the vice-rector for International Policy of the UPC, Lourdes Reig, welcomed them. They were also able to listen to the presentation ‘What we mean for Sustainable’, by professor and researcher of the Sustainability Science and Technologies Research Group, Gemma Cervantes, who spoke to them, among other topics, about the types of sustainable development, resources, energy and also about concepts such as ecological economy, industrial ecology, political ecology and echotopia.
On September 2, they participated in different cultural exchange sessions and an introductory conference on sustainability in Europe and visions for European rail mobility at UPC. The session was led by Lluis Monjo, deputy director of the Department of Electrical Engineering of the UPC and Adrian Fernandez, Director of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency at RENFE. During the session, students learned about the projects that are underway at the European level such as the TEN-T network, the role of the railway within the European Green Deal, or innovation projects promoted by ERJU (Europe's Rail Joint Undertaking).
"The train has positioned itself as the preferred transport against climate change for travel within the country, and now it is time to extend these advantages to international transport. The people who participated in U!Train have identified as users the challenges that rail transport will have to solve to achieve this goal. Through co-creation and the travel experience, they will help us create innovative ideas and learn about the solutions that are already in place, at a time when innovation in rail is gaining more attention than ever."
After the session, the students travelled together from Barcelona to Grenoble by train, participating in socialisation activities and discussions during the trip. Once they arrived in Grenoble, they will benefit from a 5-day program focusing on the themes of green mobility and intercultural skills. The students will attend classes in the morning and have the opportunity to discover Grenoble and its surroundings through social and cultural activities in the afternoon.
Student Perspectives
"I wanted to take part in the U!Train for two reasons. First of all, I'm interested in mobility because it's a complex issue that raises social, environmental, economic and logistical problems all at once. In fact, I intend to continue my studies in applied mathematics in the field of transport network optimization. The second reason I wanted to take part was the opportunity to share this experience with students from other universities and other countries. I'm expecting it to be a very enriching week!"
The program will take many forms, from online courses to lectures and hands-on activities. Throughout their stay, students will be accompanied by expert lecturers and teachers from Grenoble INP - UGA, Université Grenoble Alpes, KTH (Sweden) and Wroclaw Tech (Poland).
"The program starts in two months and I can't wait to take part. I'm really excited about the idea of exchanging with students from all over Europe, and I can't wait to meet them (...) I'm convinced that this will be a very enriching cultural experience for me."
Behind the Scenes
"The U! Train is a great adventure and goes beyond a simple summer school. To me, it's an educational initiative that puts the emphasis on experience, people and soft mobility. It fosters intercultural exchange and cooperation between our European students.This experience also strengthens ties within the Unite! community and addresses the administrative and educational challenges specific to BIPs (Blended Intensive Programs), Erasmus+'s new hybrid mobility format."