Network Rail Move Into Former NCATI Site: What This Means For Doncaster

Big news for Doncaster as Network Rail have announced they are to turn the former National College for Advanced Transport & Infrastructure (NCATI) building into a new training facility. The 25 year lease they have signed will be a hub for apprenticeships and trainee opportunities, a new chapter for a £26m site that had been sitting idle for so long. Doncaster is one step closer to being the rail city it once was.

So what does this mean for Doncaster’s residents, businesses and economy?

A win for Doncaster’s economy

For Doncaster the closure of NCATI last year felt like a blow. The college was meant to train a new generation of engineers, managers and rail specialists with the original vision tied to the HS2 project. But despite the hype, the college struggled with low numbers. Even when University of Birmingham took over in 2021 and broadened the curriculum, NCATI couldn’t get the numbers to work and closed in 2023.

Network Rail, the country’s rail infrastructure provider, will be breathing new life into the building. As Dan Fell, Chief Executive of Doncaster Chamber said, the closure of NCATI wasn’t a death blow for the local economy but it was a blow. Now with Network Rail moving in, Doncaster has another chance to be a centre for rail training and innovation again.

Skills and training hub

One of the best bits of this deal is that Network Rail will be turning the site into a bespoke training facility. More apprenticeships and vocational training for young people in Doncaster, a direct route into the booming rail industry.

Dan Fell is hopeful this will have a knock on effect for local businesses.

“Another specialist post-16 education provider on our doorstep will only add to our excellent skills offer”

he said. This facility will give young people the technical skills for well paid, stable jobs — and keep Doncaster’s businesses stocked with the talent they need to grow.

Rail is a major industry in the UK and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. So this feels like perfect timing. Young people in the area will now have access to top level training that will make them highly employable in a sector that’s key to the future of transport and infrastructure.

Why this matters for Doncaster’s big picture

Beyond the jobs and training this brings, this fits into the Doncaster Chamber’s overall plan for the city. As part of their Doncaster ’35: A Manifesto for a Winning City, the Chamber have set out ambitious goals for the next 10 years to put Doncaster at the forefront of skills and innovation.

In that vision, rail is key. As a rail city, Doncaster has a great heritage and is well placed to lead the way in modernising the UK’s rail industry. This new Network Rail training centre will help make that vision a reality.

As Fell said, this is just the latest in a series of good news for Doncaster, including developments at Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) and the new University Technical College coming soon. Together, these are what Fell calls Doncaster “staging a big comeback”.

What’s next

There’s still lots we don’t know. Many of the operational details for the Network Rail centre are yet to be confirmed and we don’t know exactly when it will open. But the fact a major player like Network Rail is committing to Doncaster for 25 years says a lot about the area’s future.

This isn’t just about the rail industry either. The skills young people will gain from this facility will be transferable across many engineering and technical disciplines and open up opportunities beyond the rail sector. This long term investment in education and training will benefit Doncaster for generations to come.

For local businesses this is great news. With a steady supply of skilled workers coming from the Network Rail centre they’ll have the talent they need to grow and innovate. And for the people of Doncaster this means more jobs, better prospects for young people and a brighter future for the city as a whole.

Summary

• Network Rail have signed a 25 year lease on the former NCATI building in Doncaster to turn it into a training facility for apprenticeships and rail jobs.
• It will boost the economy, create new opportunities for young people and supply local businesses with skilled workers.
• This fits into the overall vision set out in Doncaster ’35: A Manifesto for a Winning City to make Doncaster a leader in skills, innovation and rail.
• Along with the DSA negotiations and the new UTC, this is part of Doncaster’s comeback story.