More than 113,000 journeys have been recorded for passengers travelling to and from Kintore’s new station since it was officially opened two years ago.
On October 15 2020, trains pulled up at Kintore for the first time since the original station was shut down in 1964 as part of the infamous Beeching cuts.
The original first opened in 1854.
The grand opening followed decades of efforts and campaigning to get the Aberdeenshire community back on track.
Over the course of the two years since the new station opened its platforms, there have been all sorts of factors impacting passenger numbers, from Covid restrictions to industrial action.
However, ScotRail says it has given the town a “fast and frequent” service to Aberdeen and Inverness, which will generate “social and economic opportunities for years to come”.
What passenger numbers were initially forecast for the new Kintore station?
Back in January 2016, a business case was put forward for the creation of the new station at Kintore.
It forecast the station’s usage would be at more than 365,000 journeys annually by 2025.
In its first year, 36,000 passengers used it.
A spokesman for ScotRail said that it’s important to note the station opened during the first year of the Covid pandemic, “when passenger numbers across the country were down by as much as 95%”.
Phil Campbell, head of customer operations for ScotRail, said: “As the railway continues its recovery from the pandemic, we look forward to welcoming more people at Kintore station.
“Combined with the redevelopment of Aberdeen station, the soon-to-be-completed Inverness Airport station, and improvements to the route connecting Aberdeen and Inverness which has helped deliver a half-hourly service from Kintore to Aberdeen, there’s a wealth of opportunities ahead.”
Kintore station’s ‘great start’ shows ‘solid’ demand for north-east rail
Jordan Jack, spokesman for the Campaign for North East Rail group, said the passenger number results for the first two years at Kintore station illustrate an appetite for train travel in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
His campaign is seeking to transform travel in the north-east by reconnecting Peterhead and Fraserburgh to the rail network, just as Kintore was in October 2020.
Jordan said: “These figures show that Kintore is off to a great start despite difficult circumstances, signalling that demand for rail in the north-east is solid.
“By growing accessibility to the station, through improved bus links to rural communities, as well as improved active travel links, Kintore’s patronage will continue to grow.
“Continued growth in patronage will cement Kintore station as a vital transport asset to the local community, and to the wider Garioch and Aberdeenshire area.”
Kintore station makes it easier to reduce car use, says Transport Minister
Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth said she thinks it’s “fitting that we celebrate the anniversary of Kintore Station’s reopening”.
She added: “It has improved access to rail services, removing the need to drive into the centre of Aberdeen, as well as hosting the largest electric vehicle charging facility in the north-east and popular cycle storage facilities.
“Kintore Station is a great example of a rail interchange, making it easier for people to make the switch from private cars to trains.”
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