Rail infrastructure provider, Network Rail, has been revealed as the new tenant of the former National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure.
Network Rail has taken over a lease for the site from City of Doncaster Council (CDC) for 25 years which will continue with the educational purpose of the uniquely designed building on Carolina Way near Lakeside.
Network Rail, which is a Department of Transport (DfT) public sector arm’s length company responsible for maintaining the national rail network, will develop the vacant site into a bespoke training facility that will offer a range of apprenticeship and trainee engineering opportunities.
Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “This is great news for Doncaster and our nation’s rail industry. Our city has a great heritage and legacy of rail over centuries as the birthplace of the Mallard and Flying Scotsman, it is wonderful to see that that tradition is continuing with more rail expertise joining our already successful rail industries which call Doncaster their home.
“It is fitting that Doncaster will be the home of training facilities that boost the city as a national rail hub with advanced manufacturing and engineering at its heart promoting higher level skills opportunities as part of our Education and Skills Strategy.
“I am looking forward to visiting the site as it gets ready for students over the coming months and to welcome Network Rail to Doncaster and I would like to thank everyone involved at CDC and Network Rail for making this happen.”
Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s Eastern managing director, said: “We’re delighted to have taken over the building and believe it’s fitting that our new training facility will be in Doncaster as it’s an historic railway city.
“It will be an industry leading facility that will enable us to give our current and future workforce bespoke training and education that in turn will help us run a safe and reliable railway.
“Work will now begin on getting the building ready for our first cohort of colleagues.”
CDC’s Cabinet approved the lease arrangements in August and its training activities were in keeping with a Department of Education (DfE) covenant which is in place until 2043 that stipulates the building must be used for post-16 education and the development of training and skills.
Continuing the use of the site in post-16 education would support Doncaster’s Education and Skills 2030 strategy opening up opportunities towards local and skilled employment that will benefit Doncaster’s economy.
