Transport chiefs from the Scottish Government will meet with Aberdeen City Council today to discuss plans for a rail link between the airport, the site of the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre and the city.
The Holyrood representatives will hold talks with the local authority over the ambitious £70million project, and take part in a site visit to see for themselves the difference the proposed infrastructure could make to the north-east.
The proposals involve a light or heavy railway, and feature new stations at the airport and the upcoming AECC.
This will utilise part of the existing Aberdeen to Inverness line.
Last night Aberdeen City Council claimed they were willing to split the cost of the project with the Scottish Government.
Willie Young, the finance convener of the local authority, added the new link would be a massive boost for Aberdeen’s economy.
Mr Young said: “Council leader Jenny Laing, myself and other officials will meet with Transport Scotland at the Town House before heading off for a site visit to the proposed rail link, so we can show them exactly what we’re thinking.
“They will be able to see the impact this would have for the citizens of Aberdeen, tourism and the economic benefit to the region as a whole if we have this rail link.
“We recognise that, perhaps, the Scottish Government can’t invest in the whole thing, and as we go forward with the plan we’ll look at what we can invest, just as we did with the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route where we put in £75million to make sure it was completed.”
“We’re building this new £333million AECC, and we need a good way of getting visitors to it.
“They can walk, cycle, take a bus, or drive, but a lot of these options means they’ll be clogging up the roads.
“However, a rail link would mean congestion would be eased, and it would help people commute to work in Dyce, it would help people coming in from Huntly and Inverurie, it would help people get to the airport and it would also help people coming up to Aberdeen for concerts.”
A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “We can confirm our officials will meet Aberdeen City Council to hear their proposals on this matter.”
