Network Rail has announced that it has appointed BAM Nuttall as the main contractor for the construction of the Kintore station.

The £14.5m station will be a station that reconnects Kintore to the rail network for the first time in around 56 years.

This construction project is funded by Transport Scotland, Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans, the new station once constructed will have access that is step free between platforms by going through a footbridge that has lifts available.

It will be a station providing an interchange between rail and road, the station will have around 170 parking spaces for cars, plenty of bike storage and it will connect into the bus network of the local area.

The station itself will be constructed over a 12 month period and is due to enter service in the month of May in the year 2020. All Aberdeen-Inverness trains will actually call at this station.

The original Kintore station was opened in the year of 1854, but it closed down in the year 1964. This was part of the Beeching cuts that took place in that year.

The reopening of the Kintore station has been made possible by the double-tracking of the train line between Aberdeen-Inverurie that was actually delivered as part of the Aberdeen-Inverness Project for improvement.

Being funded by the Scottish Government, the Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project will actually reduce journey times and increase the capacity available on the route between the two cities.

There are benefits to the project for ScotRail customers. These include:

• It means More services will run between Elgin and Inverness, this will be increasing during 2019 until there is an hourly service available all day, providing 1,300 additional seats for passengers on this service.
• A service running every half an hour running all day between Inverurie and Aberdeen with extra services running at peak times, providing 3,000 additional seats for passengers on each day.
• Some additional services for Elgin-Aberdeen during early morning and late evening.
• InterCity trains operating between Aberdeen and Inverness, providing an extra 1,400 each day between the two cities.
• A new direct service between Inverurie and Montrose, which will reduce the need for passengers of the train services to change in Aberdeen.

What did the officials say?

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, said:

“This Scottish Government is committed to improving rail links across the country and this latest contract award is a milestone in doing so for people in the North East of Scotland.

“Our continued rail investment is providing new infrastructure, improved rolling stock, increased capacity and the enhanced timetables to deliver more services on the Aberdeen to Inverness route. This will make rail a more attractive travel choice, helping encourage more people out of their cars and onto trains.”

Peter Argyle, Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee and Chair of Regional Transport Partnership Nestrans, said:

“Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans have worked closely with Transport Scotland and the rail industry to secure this key investment in our regional transport infrastructure.  We are pleased to see this important milestone reached, in order to secure the long waited for benefits for the community of Kintore and surrounding area.”

Graeme Stewart, Network Rail Senior Sponsor, said:

“The new Kintore station will reconnect the local community to the rail network for the first time in nearly six decades.

“BAM Nuttall, as the main contractor on the Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project, is perfectly placed to deliver this new facility and we look forward to working closely with them to complete the work as quickly as possible.”

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