A team of students from South and City College Birmingham have won a national rail competition inspired by high-speed railway project, High Speed 2 (HS2).
The Fast Trackers 2019 competition tasked electrical engineering students with redesigning Birmingham New Street station and improving the ‘onward journey’ for passengers travelling through the city.
The teams had to devise new strategies for the busiest rail hub outside London, which last year was used by 44m passengers.
The finalists got the chance to learn more about HS2 from workshops and presentations at the newly opened High Speed Rail College in Birmingham.
The sponsors noticed the team’s growth in confidence since the regionals, which they believed was reflected in their presentation.
– Bee Narga-Martin, South & City College Birmingham
After making it through the regional heats, the final four teams pitched their proposals to a panel of judges which included senior managers from High Speed One, Network Rail and Mott MacDonald, the civil engineering firm behind HS2.
It is hoped the competition will inspire students to pursue higher education within engineering. The five team members will now have the opportunity to work with mentors from Network Rail and Mott MacDonald.
Bee Narga-Martin, HE outreach advisor for South & City College Birmingham said: “From the beginning, our team were in it to win it. It was amazing for the students to win the regional heat, so we are really excited and thrilled that they brought home the national trophy too.
“The sponsors noticed the team’s growth in confidence since the regionals, which they believed was reflected in their presentation. It is a fantastic accolade not only for the students that took part, but also a proud moment for South & City College Birmingham.”