Network Rail to take over at former Doncaster rail college

The organisation has taken a 25-year lease on the site, which it will develop into a training facility.

Owned by the City of Doncaster Council, the building has stood empty since 2023 and is covered by a covenant lasting until 2043 that states it can only be used for post-16 educational purposes.

The rail college opened in 2017 against the backdrop of the proposed HS2 line, and was intended as a training ground for engineers, designers, and managers. By 2019, as HS2 looked less likely, it became the National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure and was taken over by the University of Birmingham.

Network Rail, part of the Department of Transport, owns and maintains most of the national rail network. It will offer a range of apprenticeships and trainee engineering roles at the site on Carolina Way near Lakeside.

Mayor of Doncaster Ros Jones said: “Our city has a great heritage and legacy of rail over the centuries as the birthplace of the Mallard and Flying Scotsman. It is wonderful to see that tradition continuing, with more rail expertise joining our already successful rail industries that 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.”

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.