December timetable change brings more trains to the north of Scotland

ScotRail is introducing a new timetable from Sunday, 12 December 2021, that will particularly benefit passengers in the northeast and Highlands.

Kintore station reopened last year after being closed since 1953. Now more trains will call there on weekdays, Monday to Saturday, including some services between Inverness and Aberdeen, Inverurie and Aberdeen, and Montrose and Inverurie.

Extra services will run between Elgin and Inverness, Monday to Saturday, and an additional afternoon return service will run between Inverness and Invergordon.

Four additional return journeys will run between Aberdeen and Glasgow Monday to Saturday, together with one extra return journey between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, also Monday to Saturday.

An extra 74 standard class seats will be available on four of the Inter7City trains by the addition of an extra standard class passenger coach to the existing four-coach High Speed Trains (HSTs).

Most of the other timetable alterations will be minor, with the majority of routes retaining the same schedule currently in place. The key alterations include:

more trains stopping at Kintore Monday to Saturday;
extra services between Elgin and Inverness;
an additional return service between Inverness and Invergordon;;
continued introduction of longer, five-coach, High Speed Trains (HSTs) to provide an additional passenger coach of standard class capacity on Inter7City services;
opening of a new servicing depot at Cadder, near Bishopbriggs, with space to stable and service six HSTs.

It is essential that customers check their journey before they travel to see whether their services are affected by the changes.

David Simpson, ScotRail Operations Director, said:

“We are delighted to be able to put on more services in the Highlands and northeast of the country in the revised December timetable. The new servicing depot at Cadder will also be a significant step forward in the introduction of more Inter7City High Speed Trains as we continue investing in the rail network to make it fit for the future.”