A north MSP has demanded assurances that the shuttle bus from the new station at Inverness Airport to take passengers to their flights will be free.
Highlands MSP Edward Mountain raised the matter at Holyrood when he asked the Transport Secretary Michael Matheson when the Inverness Airport Rail Station will be completed.
Mr Matheson confirmed the Dalcross project was “being progressed as planned” by Nework Rail on behalf of Scottish ministers and would be completed on schedule by 2024.
He added that Transport Scotland would confirm the exact start date once feasibility work had been done and third party funding secured.
Mr Mountain pointed out the new station was more than a mile from the actual airport and asked: “Will the price of a train ticket to Dalcross include free travel to the airport on the shuttle bus?”
Mr Matheson said shuttle bus costs had to be considered as part of any proposal brought forward by HITRANS, the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership and the promoters of the project.
After the exchange, Mr Mountain said: “Given that the new station is a mile away from the airport, I am deeply concerned that no assurances were given on the issue of a free shuttle bus between the airport and the new station.
“However, I am pleased that this project is now back on the Scottish Government’s agenda despite the fact that it should have been completed this year.”
