A record number of people travelled by train in the north-east in 2015, prompting calls for fresh investment in infrastructure.
A record 6million people travelled through the doors of the eight stations of Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, according to figures released by the Office of Rail and Road regulator.
And the body also revealed that passenger numbers have doubled in the last decade.
Network Rail has also carried out a study predicting that numbers will soar even further in the years ahead, rising 52% in the next eight years and 151% before 2043.
Ramsay Milne, the chairman of regional partnership Nestrans, last night said the case for investment in rail infrastructure in the north-east has never been stronger.
“Here we have two separate reports with one confirming the incredible growth we’ve seen in passenger figures over the last decade, and another predicting yet more demand for rail travel for the decade to come,” he said.
“Connectivity plays such a vital role in the success of the north east and it is imperative to our continued economic growth that we see investment in our rail infrastructure to meet passenger demand and improve the region’s accessibility on both a local and a national level.”
Network Rail is now considering a number of options which could boost north-east passenger numbers even further.
It includes a Fife by-pass line which would allow trains to travel between Aberdeen and Edinburgh and avoid the section around Kinghorn and Burntisland.
It is also looking at reducing constraints between the Granite City and Dundee, including looking at signalling capacity and boosting the capacity of the station in Aberdeen.
A third phase of enhancements between Aberdeen and Inverness is also being explored.
Network Rail will send its report to the Scottish Government and will aim to help inform on investment choices between 2019 and 2029.
