Council hopes closed rail college could reopen

The college opened in 2017, but did not attract the student numbers it needed to stay afloat

A closed rail college originally used to train the next generation of engineers for the partially-scrapped HS2 scheme could be set to reopen.

The National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure in Doncaster closed in July 2023 due to low student numbers.

The route of the national high-speed rail link was scaled back, with the purpose-built college shut after six years.

A new unnamed occupier was looking at repurposing the building, with City of Doncaster Council hoping it would "remain true to its original purpose", the authority's chief executive Damian Allen said.

In a report to the council's cabinet, officers said a new offer at the building on Carolina Way was being worked on.

"Work regarding the lease and option to buy with the new occupant continues, with staged works and occupancy planned to take place between May and September 2024 to deliver a rail-focussed centre of excellence for training," it said.

The college was built to teach students the skills to work on HS2 and other major infrastructure projects.

The high-speed rail link was originally planned to connect London with the West Midlands, Manchester, Leeds and York, but was scaled back.

The current route is set to link London Euston to the West Midlands using a newly-built, dedicated line.

The college closure saw 42 jobs lost, with about 170 students transferred to other institutions.

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