TfL takes on TUCA

23 March 2017


Great Britain – Transport for London (TfL) will take over the running of Crossrail’s Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy. The UK’s only publicly owned transportation operator signed a contract with Prospect’s College of Advanced Technology to run the academy.

TUCA, established by Crossrail Limited in 2011, was set up to support the training needs of the Crossrail project as well as the wider underground construction and tunnelling industries. As the Crossrail programme is nearly complete, the training facility has now transferred to TfL to support future tunnelling and infrastructure projects, such as High Speed 2, Thames Tideway, Crossrail 2 and High Speed 3.

The Academy will form part of a network of ‘Centres of Excellence’ for training in the transport sector that is being developed by the Department for Transport. These centres will collaborate to improve quality of training and efficiency in the industry.

Mike Brown MVO, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: "It is essential we continue to develop the skills this country needs to deliver major infrastructure projects, from Crossrail 2 to HS2. The Tunnelling and Underground Construction Academy has played a leading role in supporting the skills for the Crossrail project and will leave a lasting legacy with new apprentices learning the vital skills of tunnelling and construction.”

Neil Bates FCGI, Principal and CEO - PROCAT, said: “We are really excited to be working with TfL to build on the excellent work that has been done at TUCA since it opened. Our shared vision is that TUCA becomes a national and international centre of excellence for specialist railway engineering, construction and civil engineering industries providing the specialist higher level skills so badly needed to support the UK economy.”