The £5.5 million TransEco Centre is expected to become a flagship tourist attaction and help power Peterborough's aspirations to become the UK's environment capital.

It is also likely to provide a considerable boost to Peterborough's technology and engineering sector, as well as being a lucrative addition to the city's tourism economy.

News of the scheme, earmarked for a six-acre site at Railworld, in Oundle Road, has been welcomed by leading environment and regneration groups in the city.

But they also warn that the key to the centre reaching its full potential as a national centre of excellence will be its link with other companies and academic groups already at the cutting edge of sustainable transport development.

The plans have been put together by officials at the museum centre of Railworld and are expected to be submitted to Peterborough City Council early this summer.

The centre is expected to attract 50,000 visitors a year and has already secured expressions of interests from engineering gaints such as Thales and Aveico.

Railworld chief executive Peter Fearn said: "We see the new centre as a way of educating people about the threat posed by climate change, and we aim to offer the choices that are available for people to change their lifestyles.

He added: "The threat posed by climate change means everyone needs to think about changing their lifestyles now, and the means of transport we choose has got to help.

"For instance, those half-mile journeys to the shops in the car must change. We need to think more about how we travel long distances and we need to encourage more people back on to the railways."

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The Transeco Centre will feature:

• Three floors of exhibition room space.


• Two thirds of the exhibition space will be available for rent by commercial organisations.


• 200-seater conference suite


• Video theatre.


• 4D hi-tech theatre.

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