A £1.25 million venture to make York the centre of railway excellence in the region was officially launched by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills today.

Charles Clarke MP arrived at the National Railway Museum on a high-speed train power car, to open the Yorkshire Rail Academy (YRA) and take a tour of the facilities.

He said he had fulfilled a childhood fantasy by arriving on the car, provided by York-based GNER.

The opening of the academy was welcomed by York MP Hugh Bayley, who said it confirmed the city's status within the rail industry.

He said: "Rail privatisation had a terrible impact on jobs in York, but the railway industry has built itself back and York is once again a major centre for railway engineering and management.

The academy is the first venture of its kind in which students of railways, ranging from rail employees, modern apprentices and schoolchildren, will be learning about all aspects of railways.

It incorporates the York College CoVE (Centre of Vocational Excellence) for rail and signal engineering as well as the educational hub of the NRM, and is housed in a building adjacent to the museum.

Yorkshire Forward and the Learning and Skills Council North Yorkshire have supported the development of the centre to the tune of £1.25 million. It will play a key role in the emerging national network of rail education centres.

The academy's new logo was created by Andrew Jones, a design student at York College.

Updated: 10:45 Wednesday, May 05, 2004