New train stations at the airport and P&J Live could be on the cards if the Tories come out on top in the council elections next month.
This week the Scottish Conservatives have been revealing a few key pledges to voters should they gain control of the local authority in May.
One of these is the potential for a new rail link connecting the airport and P&J Live to the city centre.
New stations would be ‘transformational’ for Aberdeen
Avril MacKenzie, councillor for Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone thinks that new public transport links would help both residents and visitors alike make the most of the facilities on their doorstep.
She said: “The exhibition centre is a fantastic asset which I’m delighted as an administration we’ve delivered.
“However, we need to make it easier for people enjoying events to come into the city centre, in turn supporting hospitality and retail.”
She added that not only would a new railway make travel more convenient but it would also lower the carbon footprint of people moving around the city.
“New innovations like this would be transformational for Aberdeen, helping our city to become even stronger and greener.”
Currently, the nearest railway station to Aberdeen Airport is two miles from the terminal and can be reached via an additional bus or car journey.
Would a new train station at the airport improve traffic?
For those travelling from the city centre, the route out to Aberdeen’s airport can often be congested.
Travelling through the city, along Great Northern Road and across the Haudagain roundabout can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the time of day.
According to Braiden Smith, the Conservatives’ second candidate for Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone, adding a new rail link out to the airport would reduce traffic jams on this busy route.
“Linking the city centre with the airport and P&J Live would make moving around Aberdeen easier,” he said.
“Greater public transport also helps ease congestion on our roads and reduce emissions.”
However the Tories aren’t the only group hoping to win support by building train stations.
The SNP said they will work to open a new train station in Cove if they gain power in the city after council elections.
Of course neither this nor the proposals for P&J Live and the airport are guaranteed, as Mr Smith clarifies.
In the event that the Tories gain a majority, he said: “A Conservative administration would engage with Transport Scotland and key stakeholders to develop a business case and funding options.”
Candidates standing in this ward:
- Avril MacKenzie, Scottish Conservatives
- Braiden Smith, Scottish Conservatives
- Gill Al-Samarai, SNP
- Neil MacGregor, SNP
- William Ball, Scottish Greens
- Barney Crockett, Aberdeen Labour
- Peter John Heald, Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Amy-Marie Stratton, Scottish Family Party
