Railway line between Inverness and Aberdeen has now re-opened

Work carried out on the Inverness Airport station programme saw an eleven-day line closure so that the project could be safely completed

The Inverness line reopened on the morning of the 26th of October following an eleven-day closure which saw Network Rail engineers and contractors work around the clock between Inverness and Nairn in order to successfully complete work as part of the Inverness Airport station programme.

The work has seen enhancements carried out and substantial progress made on the new station. The project has seen engineers install a 950m passing loop which has created double-tracking through the station. The work also saw three sets of points installed and the renewal of almost 7km of rail located adjacent to the site and using 2,900 sleepers and 10,000 tonnes of ballast.

The area has also seen a brand new modular signalling system put in place which also required the installation of 10 new signals and saw ‘fibre' cables used for signalling. The work saw 30km of signalling cable and 7km of power cable run throughout the eleven days of work.

The closure of the line also allowed a new pedestrian access bridge to be completed which will allow the level crossing at Petty and a pedestrian level crossing at Woodend to close, supporting both safety and the railway.

It would not have been possible to carry out the work without the line closure and this allowed the project to be completed safely and efficiently, minimising disruption for members of the public.

Billy McKay, Network Rail Scotland's programme manager for the Inverness project said: “We are delighted that the work during the blockade has been successfully completed and that the line has been reopened for passengers.

“The volume of work delivered on-site over the eleven-day programme meant planning and coordination was key and I am delighted that the work was carried out safely and efficiently is credit to the skill and expertise of the contractors involved.

“Thank you to passengers for their patience during this work and hope that they begin to see and experience the benefits the investment in the railway is delivering.”

To find out more about the Inverness Airpot station development, please visit: http://www.scotlandsrailway.com/projects or email InvernessAirportStation@networkrail.co.uk