A newly refurbished 25-tonne Eurostar power car has been delivered to the new National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) in Doncaster which opens in September.
The power car, previously used to propel passengers between the UK and Europe at speeds up to 180mph, has been donated to the college by Alstom and Eurostar after being retired from service. It has undergone extensive refurbishment by Alstom, which included an overhaul to its original livery to incorporate the colourful branding of the new NCHSR and it will be used as part of the college’s wider education programme as students focus on a range of rail engineering areas — from rolling stock to track systems and power.
The power car — the classic original e300/ Class 373, or Trans Manche Super Train — arrived on the back of a low-loader truck and was winched into place on a 700m length of track donated to the college by British Steel.
Clair Mowbray, chief executive of the NCHSR, said: “At the college, we are passionate that our students and apprentices will learn world-class skills from the most experienced employers in the business, using industry-leading equipment.
“The best way to educate Britain’s future engineers and help reduce the national skills shortage, is to grant learners access to the kind of apparatus they will become familiar with when they go out to work for businesses in the field.
“The new power car will be used as a classroom and is also going to incorporate a virtual reality set-up, so that we can respond to industry needs and project different engineering configurations within the cabin.