The SNP in Aberdeen said they will work to open a new train station in Cove if they gain power in Aberdeen City after May’s council elections.
A railway station first opened in the community of Cove in the south of Aberdeen on April 1, 1850.
It was renamed Cove Bay station in 1912, but was eventually closed to passengers in 1956, and finally to goods in 1963.
Nowadays, Cove residents wishing to travel anywhere by rail must first make their way to Portlethen or Aberdeen’s railway stations by other means.
The Aberdeen SNP group say if they get enough votes in May, they will make opening new stations in Aberdeen, including Cove, “a priority under their leadership of the council”.
‘A train station in Cove just makes sense’
The SNP’s Miranda Radley, councillor for Kincorth, Nigg and Cove, said new railway stations in Aberdeen will not only make travel more convenient for residents, but lower their carbon footprint.
She said: “In the Cove area I represent, I often hear from people who want to see better public transport links with our city centre and across the north-east.
“They see train services going past that stop in all of the places they want to go, but without the train stopping nearby, it’s not of any use to them.
“A train station in Cove just makes sense.
“And I have no doubt it would be very well-used by the local community.
“That’s why an SNP administration will help bring forward the delivery of a station in Cove.”
Ms Radley said her party would also seek to “look at options for stations elsewhere in our city”, and work alongside the regional transport body Nestrans, as well as Scotrail, to “ensure those are are built where they would have the biggest impacts”.
What does the public think?
Nestrans recently published the results of a consultation on transport links between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk.
Of those who took part, 38% said they lived in Cove, 27% in Newtonhill, 10% in Laurencekirk, and the rest stay elsewhere in the north-east.
Respondents were asked what could be done to encourage them to take the train more for their journeys.
In total, 52% said cheaper tickets would help, and 47% said a new railway station in Cove would encourage them to get on board.
When asked how satisfied they were with the location of their nearest station, 60% said they were either dissatisfied (28%) or very dissatisfied (32%).
About two thirds of respondents gave reasons for not taking journeys by train currently, and 23% of those comments highlighted the lack of a train station in Cove.
