The ScotRail Alliance has published details of the latest upgrade works to be carried out between Aberdeen and Inverness.
As part of the multi-million-pound upgrade, a 14-week line closure between Aberdeen and Dyce will be in place from 12 May 2018 to allow major improvement works to take place.
Bus replacement services will be in operation to keep customers moving between Aberdeen and Dyce during the upgrade work. Further details of the replacement bus timetable will be published closer to the time.
Preparation work will take place over the Easter weekend on Sunday 1 April 2018, and May bank holiday weekend from Friday 4 May until Monday 7 May 2018. This will include de-vegetation and ground investigations along the route. The line will be closed during these preparation works and replacement buses will be used over both weekends to get customers where they need to be.
The Aberdeen-Inverness Improvement Project is a Scottish Government-funded upgrade of the railway between the two cities.
This next stage of the project will improve services gradually across the route, and by the end of 2019 will deliver:
- Hourly service between Inverness-Elgin, providing 1,300 additional seats each day
- Introduction of half hourly all-day service between Aberdeen and Inverurie, providing 3,000 additional seats each day
- Majority of Aberdeen to Inverness services formed of high-speed trains, providing 1,400 additional seats each day
- Additional Elgin – Aberdeen early morning and late evening services
- New through services between Inverurie – Montrose, reducing the need to interchange at Aberdeen
- More through services between Inverness and the central belt via Aberdeen
- Extended platforms at Insch to accommodate longer high-speed trains
The upgrade work beginning in spring 2018 will double the track between Aberdeen and Dyce. There is currently only a single track between Aberdeen and Dyce, which can cause delays as only one train at a time can pass through.
Further upgrade work will be carried out between Dyce and Inverurie in 2019.
ScotRail Alliance Infrastructure Director David Dickson said:
“The investment we are making to upgrade the line between Aberdeen and Inverness is all part of our plan to build the best railway Scotland has ever had. This is a massive project, which will ultimately transform services in the north of Scotland.
“The work between Aberdeen and Dyce will double the track, so that we can improve the reliability of service our customers receive.
“We know lengthy line closures are a real inconvenience for customers, and we will do everything we can to keep people moving during the upgrade work. We will publish further information for customers closer to the time.”