Construction and civil engineering group Bam Nuttall has been awarded a £10million contract by Network Rail to carry out upgrade works to the Highland mainline that will help reduce journey times.
The award is part of an overall £57million Scottish Government-funded investment in the line linking Inverness and the central belt.
It will see infrastructure work carried out at Aviemore to extend the section of double-track to the north of the station.
At Pitlochry, the track and two platforms will be extended. Signalling systems at both stations will also be altered and upgraded.
The work will allow ScotRail’s longer InterCity trains (HSTs), which will start to be introduced on the route later this year, to pass each other more efficiently at both stations.
It is intended to help deliver an hourly service, with average journeys cut by around 10 minutes, while also allowing improvements to the times of the first and last trains between Inverness and the central belt.
In addition, a better distribution of calls at stations between Perth and Inverness is expected.
Transport and the Islands Minister Humza Yousaf said: “The awarding of the Highland mainline works contract is an important milestone in the progress of the project, which is on track to complete in little over a year.
“The works planned to take place at Aviemore and Pitlochry allow for far more efficient crossing of trains, which along with the soon-to-be-introduced HSTs and infrastructure enhancements, will deliver faster, more frequent journeys between Inverness and the central belt.” Network Rail route delivery director Matthew Spence said: “This work is vital to the introduction of InterCity trains on the line and the improved timetable that will deliver more services, improve stopping patterns and provide better connectivity for customers.
“We will work closely with our contractors, train operators and other partners to deliver in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible, while minimising disruption.”
