Railway stations across the north and north-east will have new electric car charging points by the end of the year.
A roll-out has commenced at 50 of Scotland’s biggest stations with Uphall, Bathgate, East Kilbride and Johnstone already live.
In the coming weeks, charging points will be installed at Aberdeen, Dyce, Elgin and Wick among dozens of others.
They will be accompanied by a fleet of four electric vans, which have been leased as part of the ScotRail Alliance’s work to reduce on environmental impact. The Nissan NV200s replace a number of existing diesel vehicles.
Electric vehicle registrations in Scotland have risen 62% from 12 months ago with 1,390 rechargeable electric vehicles registered in Scotland between Jan 1 and Sep 4 2017, according to the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders.
The charging points are free to use, but electric vehicles must still pay the relevant fee to park. Drivers must also hold a valid ChargePlace Scotland card to activate the charger.
The ScotRail Alliance’s programmes and transformation director, Ian McConnell, said:“We’re building the best railway Scotland has ever had, and improved facilities for customers at our stations is a huge part of this.
“These additions to our car parks, combined with longer trains, more seats and better services, will all help us to achieve our aim of reducing the carbon footprint from door to door.”
Rebecca Roper, community manager at ChargePlace Scotland, said: “We are delighted to welcome the new ScotRail Alliance charge points onto the growing ChargePlace Scotland network.
“The addition of these charge points presents the opportunity for greener commuting and travel, and also provides more recharging options at convenient locations for the increasing number of electric vehicles on Scotland’s roads.”
