The ScotRail Alliance is reminding customers to plan their journeys in advance, ahead of the latest phase of the Aberdeen to Inverness Improvement Project.
As part of the multi-million-pound upgrade, a 14-week line closure between Aberdeen and Dyce will be in place from Saturday 12 May 2018 to allow major improvement works to take place.
Buses will replace trains between Aberdeen and Dyce during the upgrade work. ScotRail has published specific journey information on its website at scotrail.co.uk/improvements – which includes bus timetable information, as well as alternative travel options.
Preparation work will take place this weekend, on Saturday 5 May and Sunday 6 May 2018. This will include bridge demolitions, signalling work and track renewal along the route. The line will be closed while this preparation work takes place over the weekend and replacement buses will be used to get customers where they need to be.
This 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 InterCity 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 InterCity trains
The upgrade work taking place over the next 14 weeks will double the track between Aberdeen and Dyce. There is currently only a single track between Aberdeen and Dyce, which causes 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 Head of Customer Experience Graham Heald said:
“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 can be a real inconvenience for customers, and we’re doing everything we can to keep people moving during the work. We’ve published travel information on our website and would encourage customers to plan ahead, considering their travel options, and remember that journey times will be longer than normal.
“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.”