20 December 2017

Inverurie station car park opens

Customers in Inverurie will now benefit from 36 additional car parking spaces at Inverurie station, as the ScotRail Alliance officially opened the new station car park extension today.
 
The work to complete the extension began in November and was carried out by Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans (the Transport Partnership for Aberdeen City and Shire), Luddon Construction and the ScotRail Alliance. The collaboration forms an early phase of the Inverurie Transport Interchange.
 
Vacant land adjacent to the north-west corner of the existing car park has been used to create the new spaces and a section of the current car park has also been resurfaced.
 
As part of the work, new CCTV has been installed providing greater coverage and security for the carpark. The carpark and platform is also brighter following the installation of new lighting.
 
The new carpark extension is part of the ongoing investment by the ScotRail Alliance in the north of Scotland. The Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvement Project aims to provide faster, more frequent journeys to the region and saw the opening of the new Forres station in October.
 
Peter O’Connell, Head of Stations & Retail Development at the ScotRail Alliance, said:
 
“We’re delighted that the much-needed car park extension at Inverurie is now open.
 
“These 36 extra spaces are a welcome addition to the station and I’m sure will be greatly received by all those in the local community who use the railway.
 
“The continued investment we are making in station facilities like this is all part of our plan to build the best railway that Scotland has ever had.”
 
Councillor Peter Argyle, who is Chair of Nestrans, Deputy Leader of Aberdeenshire Council and chair of its Infrastructure Services Committee, said:
 
“Inverurie station car park is a well-used facility and this extension will certainly make it easier for station users who arrive by car to find a parking space – something you don’t want to be struggling with when you are trying to make your train.
 
“We are seeing significant investment in rail across the area which is very welcome; in particular for Inverurie, the current upgrade of the Aberdeen to Inverness railway line includes redoubling the track between the station here and Aberdeen. This is a great opportunity locally as we will see additional capacity and a more frequent service running between Inverurie and Aberdeen.
 
“It is essential that we harness the benefits of these investments by encouraging people to use –and keep using – public transport and that means supporting them, through projects like this, to make it as accessible and easy to use as possible.”
 
Andrew Mackie, Transport Scotland’s Head of Rail Franchise Management, said:
 
“We are investing more than £5 billion to build the best railway Scotland has ever had and this includes making it easier for passengers to choose rail as their regular mode of travel.
 
“By rolling out of additional car park spaces at stations across the rail network, including at Inverurie station, we can encourage people to drive to the station to connect with the train”.