Scotland Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth has visited the site of the £14m Inverness Airport station, to see at first-hand the progress that has been made.
A two-platform station with a passing-loop is being built on the Aberdeen-Inverness line. Both platforms will have step-free access via a footbridge and lift. Completion is scheduled for December 2022.
There will be a new access road to the station for motorists and access to both platforms for pedestrians and cyclists. A car park will have spaces for 64 cars, 10 electric charging facilities, four disabled spaces, and cycle parking.
The existing route between the new station and the airport has been upgraded, and two buses an hour will initially link the station and the terminal.
Main construction work on the new platforms is well underway, and now starting on the concrete lift shafts and footbridge foundations. Creation of the access roads and car park will follow.
As part of the development, the level crossing at Petty has been closed, which will improve the safety of the line and the operation of the station.
The new station will help enhance the area by giving travellers another route to the airport, as well as opening-up local transport links including to the new town of Tornagrain and the growing Inverness Airport Business Park.
Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport, said: “I have been keeping up to date with the work at Inverness Airport station, but it was good to have the opportunity to go on-site, meet the team and see first-hand the work that has been happening on the project since work began in October 2021.
“Providing easy local access to the Aberdeen to Inverness services will make this area more attractive for inward investment and housing growth, which will both support local communities and the wider economy.”
Kris Kinnear, Network Rail's capital delivery director said: “The new fully accessible station will improve social and economic opportunities for people in Inverness and the surrounding communities and we will work hard to deliver the new facility for the area as quickly as possible.
“We appreciate that given the scale of the work, it is not without some disruption, but It is an exciting development that has the potential to transform life for local people and the communities it will serve.”
Given that there will still be buses westward to Inverness as an alternative the station will be hard put to compete on cold winter nights.. Would even attract those going east unless timing was finely tuned.
Whilst the airport station means a stretch line is being redoubled and air passengers have a rail option to get to Inverness, this totally breaks any connection between the Aberdeen-Inverness and the Highland line. For example, according to the draft timetables coming into effect in May 2022 the train currently arriving from the east in Inverness at 17.48 connects with the 17.54 departure (last train) to the north, to the Kyle of Lochalsh. But from May 2022 the train gets in at 17.55 with KoL service still leaving at 17.54, i.e. for the sake of one minute you will miss a connection. This is hardly going to encourage people to carry on use the train once their connection is broken.
Not adding a footway along the existing road that gives access ? Not very pedestrian friendly
So the new railway station is to be named as Inverness Airport station but is located at Dalcross few miles outside of Inverness city centre. Why not call it Inverness Airport Parkway so it can have park & ride with it.