Manchester shortlisted for HS2 college

Manchester is one of four locations shortlisted to become the home of the National College for High Speed Rail, which will provide training for HS2 engineers.

Manchester has been shortlisted alongside Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to further develop their bids.

The new college will have a hub in one of the four shortlisted cities, as well as facilities in other towns and cities to provide training for HS2 engineers.

All bids were assessed against a range of criteria including the size and availability of a suitable site, accessibility, and the potential to develop strong links with employers and providers already operating in the sector.

Representatives from Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster and Manchester have been invited to present their final proposals in late June, before a final decision is made in July.

The first phase of the £42.6bn HS2 project will connect London to Birmingham, with the second phase of the route, connecting Birmingham to Manchester and Leeds.

The High Speed Rail College will be the first specialist national college to be developed, with plans to create additional facilities for the nuclear, coding and energy industries.

Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan was appointed to oversee the selection of the shortlist, and he will be involved in the final phase of the selection process.

Morgan said: "Engineering skills are vital to the rail industry, and I am hugely excited to be given the opportunity to help shape the design and development of the new college.

"We need to ensure that the college can deliver the top class training and qualifications needed, both for high speed rail and other future infrastructure projects across the country."