Contractor appointed in £170m upgrade of Inverness to Aberdeen rail line
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THE contractor behind the successful creation of the new Borders Railway will handle the £170 million upgrade of the Inverness to Aberdeen line, Transport Scotland has announced.
Over the next four years engineers from BAM will upgrade signalling along the route, install infrastructure to allow for the future creation of a new station for Inverness Airport at Dalcross and double-track a 16-mile stretch of line between Inverurie and the Granite City.
Other work will include a new station at Forres, straightening of the railway in that area, the extension of platforms at Insch and Elgin to accommodate longer trains, and work to allow the future creation on a new station at Kintore.
The Scottish Government-funded enhancement is expected to increase the number of trains on the line, including additional peak services between Inverness and Elgin.
The first phase of the work is expected to be complete in 2019.
The Scottish Government secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities, Keith Brown, said: “[This] will make journeys shorter, more frequent and more comfortable for those who use this important line regularly.
“This project is especially valuable for the region for, as well as the clear benefits to passengers and freight users, it will also support jobs and growth, providing an economic boost to the cities and communities along the entire length of the route.”
Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, added:
“Reduced journey times and the ability to run bigger trains with more seats will transform customers’ experience of rail travel.
“This is what the ScotRail Alliance is all about; connecting people with jobs, businesses with customers, and giving communities across Scotland the opportunity to grow and prosper.
Engineers are currently carrying out ground investigation, site survey and vegetation clearance works on the line as part of the project and main construction works will begin in the spring.
Plans for the new station at Dalcross is being developed separately by Hitrans, which last week warned that a level crossing at Petty will have to be closed to make the station a reality.
