Handover completed of Doncaster's National College for High Speed Rail

Faithful+Gould, the project and programme management consultancy, has completed the handover of the keys to Doncaster’s new National College for High Speed Rail.

The consultancy’s Leeds office was appointed in August 2015 by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to provide project and commercial management services to support the delivery of the £25m project.

Comprising 7,000 sq ms, the National College for High Speed Rail is designed to address the skills shortages faced by HS2, and the wider rail industry, by providing specialist training to the next generation of engineers.

The new college, situated in the Lakeside area of Doncaster, features a triple-height workshop with an inspection pit so students can inspect and maintain the full size high-speed train that will be permanently on site.

The college will also house enough teaching and workshop space for up to 1,000 students, while externally there is a 150 metre long section of railway and overhead lines showcasing a range of track construction.

Craig Hitchenor, managing quantity surveyor at Faithful+Gould’s Leeds office, said: “One of the key requirements from the initial briefing stage was for the building to be flexible in order to accommodate future changes in railway technology, curriculum and teaching methods.

“Also, being appointed through the SCAPE framework saw us focus on social and economic local community growth. We’ve provided work experience and apprenticeships, while helping ensure that 20% of the £25m contract sum has been spent in the borough.

“Faithful+Gould has a long-standing relationship with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council having worked on a number of projects. The new National College for High Speed Rail, however, is particularly significant.

“It will create and retain employment in the area, providing a skilled workforce for a town that is steeped in the tradition of railways and set to be a significant contributor to the Northern Powerhouse.”

The Doncaster campus of the college will specialise in traction, rolling stock and advanced manufacturing.

Elsewhere, the HR and rail divisions of Atkins, Faithful+Gould’s immediate parent company, has provided support to the college’s management team, helping develop its curriculum, training and apprenticeships as well as their communications.

The first cohort of students will be accepted from September 2017.