18.04.18
BAM Nuttall awarded £10m Highland mainline contract
BAM Nuttall has won a £10m Network Rail contract for upgrade works to the Highland mainline.
The contract forms part of a £57m Scottish Government-funded investment in the line that links Inverness and the Central Belt.
Work under the contract will include extending platforms 1 and 2 at Pitlochry station and carrying out modifications to extend the track layout.
There will also be infrastructure works at Aviemore station, extending the loop to the north of the building, as well as upgrades to the signalling systems at Pitlochry and Aviemore.
The works will enable ScotRail’s longer intercity trains to pass each other more efficiently at both stations, and help to deliver an hourly service and reduce journey times for passengers by around 10 minutes.
Potentially, there could also be improvements to the times of the first and last trains between Inverness and the Central Belt, and a better distribution of calls at the intermediate stations between Perth and Inverness.
This is the second phase of investment in the line, with the initial 2012 phase of the project increasing the number of services from nine to 11 trains a day in each direction.
Transport minister Humza Yousaf called the contract an “important milestone” and said that the project is on track to complete in just over a year.
He continued: “The works planned to take place at Aviemore and Pitlochry allow for far more efficient crossing of trains, which along with the soon-to-be-introduced HSTs and infrastructure enhancements will deliver faster more frequent journeys between Inverness and the Central Belt.”
Matthew Spence, route delivery director at Network Rail, added: “This work is vital to the introduction of InterCity trains on the line and the improved timetable that will deliver more services, improve stopping patterns and provide better connectivity for customers.”
BAM Nuttall’s regional director, Jerry Dickson, said that the company was delighted to have received the contract, and revealed that the team will look for opportunities to work with the local community in an attempt to leave a positive lasting legacy from the work at the two stations.
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