The north-east has bucked a national trend when it comes to rail travel, with a steep rise in the number of passengers travelling by train.
Across Scotland, customer numbers on the railways have dropped by around 85% due to many working from home and travelling less during the pandemic.
But transport chiefs have revealed that, in Aberdeen, the figures are tracking in the opposite direction.
Since September they have recorded a 43% jump in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.
Nationally, close to one-fifth of rail services have been temporary suspended due to a lack of customers.
But in the north-east, almost all are being restored to pre-pandemic timetables in time for Christmas.
A half-hourly service to Aberdeen is running from Inverurie, Dyce and the new £15 million station in Kintore – with this increasing to three per hour at peak times.
Meanwhile an hourly service is connecting Montrose, Laurencekirk, Stonehaven and Portlethen with the city.
A ScotRail spokesman said: “These changes restore the local service that was introduced in December 2018.
“Through 2019 and early 2020 these improvements had encouraged more people to choose travelling by train on local journeys.
“The train operator will continue to review passenger numbers as demand increases, and it’s hopeful of filling spaces remaining in the timetable.”
‘Encouraging’ recovery
The firm’s operations director, David Simpson, said: “It’s great to see that, despite the 85% drop in passenger numbers across Scotland, journeys in and around Aberdeen have increased to 43% compared to the same time last year.
“We are delighted that the significant investment by Scotland’s Railway in the local rail network continues to prove to be a success.”
Chairwoman of regional transport body Nestrans, Aberdeen councillor Sandra Macdonald, said: “It is heartening to see such a strong percentage of passengers now returning to rail travel in and around Aberdeen.
“The north-east’s rail services and facilities – including the impressive new Kintore station – are something Nestrans is very proud of.
“They provide an opportunity for residents and visitors alike to enjoy convenient rail travel, better connectivity and a sustainable option for local travel to and from Aberdeen.”
And vice-chair, Aberdeenshire councillor Peter Argyle, said: “This has been such a challenging year for us all as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the way in which we travel has been massively impacted upon.
“Although it will be some time before rail travel returns to the levels of previous years, it is very encouraging to see our passenger numbers have recovered better than in other areas of the country.”
