Saudi prince heads to High Speed Rail College
With Saudi Arabia investing billions in high speed rail as it diversifies its transport infrastructure to include more non-oil sources, a delegation led by a Saudi prince has visited the National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham.
Prince Abdulaziz Bin Faisal was accompanied by Andrew Hammond, managing director of Riyadh-based international transport company Future Solutions and the group CEO Mohammad Mutabagani.
The Saudi representatives visited the campus on Lister Street to discover best practice in technical training and see first-hand the cutting-edge equipment available to learners at the National College – the world’s first dedicated high speed rail college.
The Saudi visit is one of several international delegations that have been invited to tour the college this year, with previous visits from representatives of rail projects in Malaysia, Singapore and Bulgaria, as well as a recent delegation from the 2018 International Seminar for Railway Education and Training (ISRET).
As the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) looks to reduce the nation’s reliance on crude oil and promote the entire Middle East region as part of its Vision 2030 programme, it is already investing heavily in its railway network with Haramain High Speed Rail, a 281-mile line between Medina and Mecca, due to open later this year.
The prince experienced how the world-class learning facilities which include virtual and augmented reality headsets and 3D printing technologies are helping to prepare a new generation of railway engineers and leaders.
It is intended that similar methods will be used for future training in Saudi Arabia: the Haramain High Speed Rail project has been developed by a Spanish consortium on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. With this project now nearing completion and the Spanish team preparing to conclude operations, Saudi Arabia is looking to train its own workforce to deliver future high speed rail projects.
Clair Mowbray, chief executive of the National College for High Speed Rail, said: “As we begin to provide Britain with a talented workforce that has the skills to deliver pioneering infrastructure, fit for the 21st Century, it’s fantastic that our innovative training methods are already generating international interest.
“High-speed rail has the potential to be a Great British export industry in the coming years. As such, it’s just as important that as we continue to partner with employers here in the UK, that we develop and maintain strong international links so that we can learn from, and share best practice with the global community of railway leaders, experts and professionals.”
Prince Abdulaziz Bin Faisal al Saud said: “Everything we’ve seen at the college has been impressive – from the design to the way of teaching with new technologies. We already had high expectations before arriving but what we’ve seen here has exceeded those expectations. Our understanding of how things are working here will definitely help to inform future projects in Saudi Arabia.”
