Member Article

Scotland on board Doncaster’s High Speed Rail College bid

Scottish leaders have backed Doncaster’s bid to bring the High Speed Rail College to Yorkshire.

A Yorkshire delegation pitched to Government and HS2 bosses why Doncaster should be the home of this High Speed Rail College. Support continues to grow and Scotland has now come on board.

An advisory group consisting of representatives from Crossrail, HS2 Limited, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and the Department for Transport is expected to make a decision in the next few weeks.

Doncaster is up against Birmingham, Derby and Manchester for the research and teaching centre.

Commenting on Doncaster’s proposal, Mayor Ros Jones said: “The Yorkshire team put forward a strong and robust case. We have a host of household names in the sector who have led this bid, a prime ‘ready to go’ site, plans in place to help grow rail and engineering businesses and private and public sector support from the up and down the country.

“Towns and cities, existing colleges and universities, businesses and the general public across the region, the north-east and along the East Coast Mainline have joined our campaign. This skills and training college will help the burgeoning rail and engineering sector in Yorkshire, the North East and beyond to expand

“Officials must take notice of this groundswell of support. Doncaster will spread the benefits of HS2, help rebalance the national economy and deliver jobs and growth.”

Cllr Will Dawson, Chair of Tactran (Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership), said: “It is entirely logical for us to support Doncaster, not only as part of the East Coast Mainline Authorities but also in terms of stressing the need for High Speed Rail to extend beyond the Midlands and Manchester and ultimately to Scotland.”

Cllr Iain Gaul, Leader of Angus Council, said: “Doncaster is the best place for this High Speed Rail College in terms of benefiting those located on or close to the East Coast Mainline.”

The north-east continues to support Doncaster too. Cllr Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “The Doncaster proposal provides a unique opportunity to build upon and reinforce the major rail and engineering clusters along the route of the East Coast Mainline.

“We can see the immediate advantages in linking the training and development opportunities currently being developed in the North East with the college in Doncaster.

“The impact of the Hitachi train factory at Newton Aycliffe has been substantial in creating interest amongst potential supply chain companies and some new inward investors.

“The High Speed Rail College at Doncaster would add to the offer, as well as producing transferable skills to increase the pool of labour for all of our successful manufacturing industries.”

Doncaster’s bid is private sector led by the Centre for Rail Engineering And Technical Excellence (CREATE), coordinated by Doncaster Council and supported by Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, business leaders and partners, including local authorities, across the region.

There is still time for people to back Doncaster’s campaign by pledging their support at:www.businessdoncaster.com and posting comments on Twitter: #railtown

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .