Restored railway station prepares to reopen
Laurencekirk stop will welcome its first train service in 42 years later this month
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A RAILWAY station, which closed in 1967 has been restored and is to reopen on Sunday, May 17.
Laurencekirk station has been refurbished to its original 1856 design with wood salvaged from the original station used to restore the waiting room.
Carol Deveney, the commercial scheme sponsor, said the station retained the “look of 1856, but with modern facilities”.
More than 36,000 passengers are expected to use the station each year.
Transport Minister Stewart Stevenson will officially open the station on Monday, May 18.
The minister will catch the 9.07am train from Aberdeen and arrive in Laurencekirk at 9.37am to open the station.
Services are expected to start from the station the day before the official opening ceremony when the railway timetable changes, while a contract has been awarded for a dial-a-bus service, the first in south Aberdeenshire, which will take residents to and from the station from Laurencekirk and outlying areas.
Some current bus services will also stop at the station.
Councillors have approved plans to spend nearly £300,000 on the station's car park, which is expected to be completed next month.
Nearly £3.9million was provided to refurbish the station through Scottish Executive, Transport Scotland and Nestrans funding.
