The Penza-I station forever connected the surrounding area with the railway, and all the necessary infrastructure for the railway lines was created in this region. The Railway Technical School was built specifically for this purpose.

It is one of the oldest educational institutions in the area, nearly 140 years old. The decision to open a specialized educational institution in Penza was made immediately after the construction of the Penza-I station. By the late 1870s, it became clear that the city lacked qualified specialists. The new school partially addressed this issue, although training was conducted only in three specialties: locomotive engineer, track master, and telegraph operator. Working on the railway was considered very prestigious, and salaries there were the highest in the city, so the school was always popular among applicants.

The first director of the school was Nikolai Nikolaevich Meshcheryakov, a talented engineer who participated in the construction of the building and then led its operations for 40 years, having worked at the educational institution for a total of 45 years. More than 20 teachers and practical training leaders conducted the training, all of whom had solid training, allowing them to effectively fulfill their duties.

This educational institution was advanced for its time. The Syzran-Vyazma railway supplied modern equipment here, from telegraphs to film projectors. In the early 20th century, the world's first film "The Arrival of a Train" was shown here.