Education Secretary Justine Greening has officially opened the new National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) in Doncaster (www.nchsr.ac.uk).

A new build of 7,000m², the college is designed to address the potential skills shortages faced by HS2 — and the wider rail industry — by providing specialist training to the next generation of engineers.

There is also a campus in Birmingham, and the cohort for 2017-18 will be around 150 students.

The two campuses are expected to train about 1,200 students per year and equip them with the technical skills required to build, operate and maintain a railway — with a strong emphasis on practical and virtual learning.

The new college has 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. There is a 150m-long section of railway plus overhead lines, showcasing various types of track construction.

Ms Greening said: “It has been great to attend the official launch of the NCHSR. It is part of how we are steadily transforming technical education in this country, training up a new generation of skilled young people and the existing workforce, so that British business has the skills it needs and people have the opportunities they want — a win-win for everyone.

“We can only do this in partnership with employers — the NCHSR is just one great example of this. The impressive new building and training facilities are at the forefront of our ambitions to create a world-class system of technical education.”