All construction at the eagerly anticipated Kintore Station has been stopped.
The new Kintore station was on course to open in May this year– reconnecting the town to the rail network for the first time in five decades.
Aberdeenshire Council’s strategic transport office said: “Kintore station project has been progressing through the national shutdown under UK guidance to Network Rail that construction should continue and that they – Network Rail – were critical workers.
“On Thursday night, Network Rail’s board decided to halt and shut down all enhancement works on the railways, including Kintore Station.”
The original Kintore station opened in 1854, but closed a century later in the Beeching cuts.
Last night Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett said: “The health and wellbeing of construction workers during the coronavirus outbreak is the most important factor here and the decision to take them off site to protect them against the virus is the correct one.
“The new station at Kintore is a vital project for the area and will ensure communities in and around the town will be better connected to Scotland’s rail network.
“But lives cannot be put at risk by continuing work during this extremely difficult period.”
Meanwhile, work on Stonehaven’s flood protection scheme has also been paused in line with the guidelines.
A spokesman for project leaders, civil engineering firm McLaughlin and Harvey, said: “The world we live and work in is a very changed place from even a few weeks ago.
“We have now agreed to a ‘pause’ in the works to align with the rest of society and close down for a period to lessen the impact of this virus.
“There will be a small project team who will remain to carry out security checks and respond to any adverse weather so don’t be alarmed if you see workers onsite.”
