New train station earmarked for Inverness Airport
A new train station at Inverness Airport could be built by 2019 as the First Minister unveiled a £170 million investment in the rail line between the city and Aberdeen.
Alex Salmond has confirmed that some of that cash will be ploughed into creating the infrastructure for a new stop at Dalcross and described it as key economic importance for the Highlands and Moray.
The Scottish Government announced a raft of improvements to the railway including a new station at Forres, free wifi on all trains, platform extensions at Insch and Elgin and track dualling between Aberdeen and Inverurie.
However, Mr Salmond was less forthcoming about the possibility of any major investment to the Highland main line which was dubbed "Victorian" last year.
Speaking at Inverness train station today (Friday), Mr Salmond said it was the first phase of planned improvements which in future will lead to an hourly service between both cities and reduce average journey time to around two hours.
He said the number of passengers using the Highland capital’s station had increased by six per cent in the last year and the government wanted to meet that demand.
"It’s a big investment even for this phase one and there will be more investments to come in future stages," said Mr Salmond.
Asked why the Dalcross station - and a new stop at Insch - could not be built now, Mr Salmond said the sites involved third parties like local authorities and developers and promised a separate announcement, although he did not provide a date.
"We are hoping the stations will be in-situ before the end of this five-year plan," he said. "You can’t have these stations until you have the infrastructure, it’s important to understand that this is a five-year plan but that doesn’t mean everything waits until 2019. We are aware that the infrastructure to allow the stations to be built is one of the priorities."
Mr Salmond predicted a new airport station would be attractive to passengers.
"I think it is going to become a key commuting area for the whole Inverness to Elgin stretch," he said. "Dalcross station is very close for the airport, very important for major tourist attractions like the golf course Castle Stuart. It is one of the key development areas, it’s for the [Highland] council to decide on these matters but obviously any development that will take place will be more suitable because it will have that commuting option either to Inverness or Elgin."
David Spaven, of the Rail Freight Group, called last year for more cash to be ploughed into the line between Perth and Inverness to allow more goods to be transported in and out of the Highlands and take the strain off the A9.
He said two-thirds of the line was still single-track and crying out for improvements.
Mr Salmond said there "are plans" but declined to comment further.
"Let us deal with one announcement at a time," he said. "This announcement is about what is going to happen, this is the finance to back up the plans, when we have a similar situation with the Highland Line we will be able to announce that as well."
Mr Spaven said major investment for the route did not appear to be on the agenda and claimed the railway was a "poor relation" to roads with billions of pounds earmarked for dualling the A9 and A96.
"If dualling is good enough for the road it is good enough for the railway," he said.
