A disused platform at Aberdeen Railway Station could be on track for a comeback as plans to provide more journeys to the Central Belt build up steam.
Network Rail has revealed a series of proposals to boost links from the Granite City to Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Planning documents submitted to Aberdeen City Council indicate some major changes in store for the line, as efforts to reduce car journeys intensify.
Platform 8 at the Guild Street station could be brought out of retirement to expand the city’s offering.
And new loops could be created, where slower-moving freight trains could be taken off the main line allowing express trains to whiz past.
What are the Network Rail plans?
It’s all part of Network Rail’s “Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement” scheme.
The project “will increase the capacity of the lines as well as reduce journey times between Scotland’s north-east and central belt”.
The hope is to have a new timetable operating by the end of 2026.
How could disused platform at Aberdeen Railway Station help?
Aberdeen Railway Station has recently undergone a bit of a revamp. Upgrades worth £8 million were carried out to “restore its former glory”.
It was as a result of similar changes in the 1980s that some old platforms were removed.
Amid resignalling works, the 1 and 2 bay platforms along with 8 and 9 through platforms were all taken out of use.
Now, Network Rail chiefs want to reopen number 8 for passengers.
Reinstating the track would allow more trains to arrive and depart simultaneously.
The Aberdeen work is pencilled in for March 2025 – March 2026. But special permission will be needed as the station is A-listed.
Network Rail says reopening the disused platform at Aberdeen Railway Station might “require some simple reconfiguration of passenger flow”.
But bosses say no “physical alterations” would be needed.
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What else is planned?
Meanwhile, three new “passing loops” will be created along the line between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.
These will allow for an increase in both freight paths and passenger services.
And speedier passenger services will be able to overtake more slow-moving freight vehicles.
Currently the freight trains, which are 640m long, can delay journeys.
Changes to encourage more people to travel by rail
Documents state: “This contributes to encouraging passengers and freight users onto the railway, driving modal shift, supporting the decarbonising of Scotland’s transport sector.”
New signalling will also be installed, “enabling trains to safely run closer together and at higher speeds”.
Many other changes are in the works at Dundee, Lunan Bay, Montrose and Arbroath.
You can see the plans here.
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