Landlord Voice Magazine July 2015 - Doncaster | Page 12

“The rail sector in Doncaster no
doubt has an imposing reputation,
which has helped secure two
massive new developments”
> “I want to keep this momentum up
and will now be looking to complement
the college with other new developments.
Having earlier this year secured a new
Enterprise Zone at Doncaster Sheffield
Robin Hood Airport, which itself has
the capacity for 2,000 engineering and
manufacturing jobs, Doncaster is well on
the way to regaining its reputation as an
important centre of industry.
“I want to see a new generation of
engineering and manufacturing in
Doncaster, and this major success is a
significant piece of the jigsaw in achieving
our plan.”
Pat Meadows, assistant principal at
Doncaster College, said demand for
industry recruits in the rail sector had
been steadily growing.
She added: “A lot of businesses in
Doncaster are related either directly or
indirectly to the rail industry and we
have been preparing our students very
successfully to go on to work for local rail
infrastructure and maintenance companies
such as Wabtech and Volker.
“It looks like there will be increasing
demand during the next two years in
preparation for HS2 College – it will
stimulate a real growth within the sector
and Doncaster College will help meet that
need.”
As well as HS2 College work has already
begun on the transformation of the old
Doncaster Carr railway depot into a £70m
Hitachi Rail Europe maintenance depot
for its Class 800 series passenger trains,
which are set to go into service on the East
Coast Mainline in 2018.
Under the plans a minimum of 10
five-car trains would be kept there every
night. The Class 800 trains will offer 19 per
cent more seats on each train, cut journey
times between London, Doncaster and
Edinburgh by up to 15 minutes and be
more reliable.
The maintenance depot is expected to
create 160 jobs.

FARRRS – the road to a
thriving economy
The rail sector in Doncaster no doubt has
12 | LandlordVoice | July 2015

an imposing reputation, which has helped
secure two massive new developments in
the form of the new HS2 College for the
training of engineers and the Hitachi Rail
Europe Maintenance depot.
But infrastructure of a different kind is
now stimulating investment projects on an
unprecedented scale in the region.
Within the next five years Doncaster will
be home to an inla