The four cities that have made the shortlist for the proposed site of the new college are Birmingham, Derby, Doncaster and Manchester. The list has been created by the department for business, innovation and skills and the successful one will house the main ‘hub’ college site. It will be in turn supported by various ‘spoke’ operations across the country, and will be training rail engineers. Initially it is being developed to support the construction of the HS2 project.

All bids were assessed against a specific list of requirements, and these included the size and availability of a suitable landsite, its accessibility and the potential to develop links with local employers already operating within a designated area.

The minister responsible for the project, Matthew Hancock, said that he was extremely encouraged in the level of interest that had been shown in the project across the country, and wanting to be a part of meeting the high speed rail skills challenge. He went on to say that it was clear that there were already some excellent partnerships in place between the education sector and the rail industry which could be utilised in the formation of the new college. From practical placement schemes to training about the proper use of safety equipment and clothing, from safety shoes to hard hats, so that students were receiving the required experience to hit the ground running when they took on full time posts after graduation.

It is hoped that those bids which did not make the final list will be able to develop links to the main college so that as many students as possible will be in a position to access the opportunities that HS2 and other rail engineering projects will create. HS2 is seen as a vital part of the long-term economic plan for the country, looking to provide and safeguard thousands of jobs. However, it still has a lot of opponents who do not share the same view, especially those who live along the proposed route and those who feel it does not offer the economic benefits that the government is advocating in its reports.

The four finalists being considered for the college now have to give presentations to an advisory group in two weeks time on the 27th June, with the final decision announced in July.

This will be the first of a series of specialist national colleges which are to be developed, and plans are being put in place for the next which will specialize in nuclear, coding and energy.