On Friday 31st January, 12 Year 9 students visited the HS2 construction site at Old Oak Common. This provided students with an insight into large-scale engineering projects and inspired their interest in careers within the engineering and transportation sectors. Old Oak Common is set to become a major transport hub in West London, offering quick, reliable, and comfortable journeys to the Midlands, the North, and Scotland, as well as connections into central London, the West Country, and South Wales.
During the visit, students learned about the engineering challenges involved in constructing such a large-scale infrastructure project, including the excavation of the 20-metre-deep underground station box and the design considerations for accommodating future passenger growth. The tour also highlighted the station’s sustainable design features, such as natural ventilation and energy-efficient systems.
The HS2 project, with its emphasis on sustainable design and cutting-edge engineering, serves as an excellent case study for students considering careers in these fields. Feedback from the students was very positive. Many expressed a real interest in engineering careers and one student remarked: “Seeing the scale of the project and the different technologies used was amazing. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities in engineering.”
The comments received from the HS2 were also very positive. They said: ‘the students were well behaved and interacted well with the discussions, with some really good questions’.
