23.10.17
Forres station to ‘transform’ Scottish rail travel
Scotland’s newest station has been officially opened as part of the Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project.
It is hoped that the project, funded by the Scottish Government, will transform rail travel between the two cities and slash journey times.
The station was completed during the recent 10-day closure of the line, whilst the railway was moved onto a straighter, double-tracked alignment to the north of the old station.
As a part of the project, the station car park has more than doubled in size, with 58 parking spaces, including three disabled spaces, four oversized spaces and two electric car charging points.
The station’s two platforms are also linked by a fully accessible footbridge and lifts.
During the closure, Network Rail and its contractors constructed 5km of new track in Forres, 2km of new track in Elgin, extended platforms and upgraded the level crossing in Elgin, removed redundant signal boxes at Elgin and Forres, and upgraded signalling systems between Elgin and Inverness.
Opening the station, Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said: “The improvements to our local rail infrastructure is a real boost to commuters and rail passengers locally, as well as to the local economy, and I know everyone is looking forward to shorter journey times on the line.”
Accompanying Lochhead at the opening, Alex Hynes, managing director of ScotRail Alliance, added: “Across the country, we are delivering the biggest transformation of our rail network since Victorian times as we work with the government to create the best railway Scotland has ever had.”
Humza Yousaf, Scottish minister for transport, praised those working towards delivering the improvements: “It is extremely promising to reach this milestone in the first phase of the Aberdeen and Inverness rail enhancement project.
“The delivery of these works to programme is a testimony to the hard work and commitment of all of those involved. Network Rail will now move forward with delivering the improvements between Aberdeen and Inverurie by the end of 2019.”
Both Hynes and Yousaf are writing about Scotland’s railway for the next edition of RTM, set to hit desks on 31 October. Grab your free copy by subscribing here.