Aberdeen - Inverness £170m Upgrade

[Sox]

Drawing 150005-BNU-DRG-EMF-001031 REV P01 from Stathern Jc's link depicts "PROPOSED NORBORD TURNOUT AND HEADSHUNT"

 

[CEN60]

Drawing 150005-BNU-DRG-EMF-001031 REV P01 from Stathern Jc's link depicts "PROPOSED NORBORD TURNOUT AND HEADSHUNT"

The current plan is for NR to install the turnout and headshunt as part of the Dalcross project (the signaling is all interlinked) - the plan is to install it and clip it out of use - exactly the way that the connection and headshunt was supplied for the new freight facility at that is being constructed at Highland Spring at Blackford. It will then be up to Norbord / TS to fund and build the freight facilities connecting onto the installed conection and headshunt. These are the current plans .... however as we know plans change!

 

[Class 170101]

Are there the facilities at Inverness to reverse all these trains? If not they are going to have to approach from the Aberdeen direction.

 

[waverley47]

The yard at Inverness is reasonably well equipped, certainly enough space there to turn around a freight. Might need to shunt around a bit though as the 300m long run round only has connections to the main line.

It would have to come in from Perth, run round, pull forward onto the running line, back up the line into the freight yard and pull away again towards Dalcross.

Is there any indication of which direction the head shunt will face?

 

[najaB]

Is there any indication of which direction the head shunt will face?

It's in the PDF file noted above.

 

[waverley47]

It's in the PDF file noted above.

Ah thanks.

 

[Stopper]

Good to progress on Dalcross finally. Kintore has certainly been a welcome addition to the network.

 

[CEN60]

Ah thanks.

The proposed connection faces Inverness - The freight operator that may operate any yard at Norbord has run a test to get freight that comes up the Highland mainline to and from the proposed facility at Norbord - both by splitting and joining in Needlefield and by using Rose Street Curve & an additional loco.

 

[47271]

Oh dear, surely someone's thought about this?

The comparison with Aberdeen isn't entirely fair since Dyce station is in a real town and does a lot more than serve a distant airport terminal more easily reached by the dedicated bus service from the city centre. You'd have to be a pretty determined rail user to try to get to Aberdeen Airport via Dyce station. But there's got to be something linking Dalcross to Inverness Airport, until the place gets surrounded by new houses it makes little sense otherwise?

Highland MSP appeals for further clarity on transport at new airport railway station

A Highland MSP has voiced concerns over how passengers arriving at the new Inverness Airport railway station will get to the terminal building. Network

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

A Highland MSP has voiced concerns over how passengers arriving at the new Inverness Airport railway station will get to the terminal building.

Network Rail submitted plans to the local authority last month for a double-platform station at Dalcross to provide better connectivity.

The long-awaited proposals will cater for six carriage trains and include a 64-space car park with associated infrastructure including a footbridge and 16-person lifts on each platform.

MSP Edward Mountain says further clarity is needed to establish the scope for a shuttle bus service to be imposed to help the facility meet its full potential.

“This project will not be cheap and it is likely it could cost in excess of £15m,” he said.

“For that price it is vital that the new station fully meets the needs of Highlanders from day one.

“We still don’t know if there will be a shuttle bus in operation between the station and the airport. It’s time we heard far more from Transport Scotland, the Highland Council and Hitrans on this issue.

“Whilst I welcome the active travel infrastructure being put in place at the station, we cannot expect all passengers to walk or cycle to the airport, especially when it is raining.”

His appeal follows a meeting with Network Rail officials to discuss the proposals which are in line for completion by December 2022.

The conservative MSP added: “We need to make travelling between the station and airport as easy as possible. The last thing Highlanders and tourists will want is a replica of the problems experienced at Dyce Railway Station.

“The new station must be linked up to the airport with regular services otherwise it will not meet its full potential.”


Transport chiefs say the new facility will result in a reduction in road travel to the airport, promoting greener travel choices whilst increasing capacity on the Inverness to Aberdeen line.



Allan Henderson, Highland Councillor and chairman of Hitrans said they would welcome the implementation of a shuttle bus service in providing “seamless transport”

He said: “As we go forward its all about encouraging people to leave cars alone. Rather than having to have huge areas of black tar at a railway station, it’s so much better if you can pick up and connect and move people as a single unit.

“Mass travel is the way to go, not currently but when things hopefully get back to normal that’s of course we would like to have.

“There is no-one doubting for one moment that it would have been far better to be able to get the railway station to go into the airport however unfortunately that just wasn’t technically possible.


“Anything that any MP or MSP does to try and forward the case for a complete link up, for seamless transport between the railway station and the airport is all to the good.”

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said: “The Scottish Government remains committed to funding the construction of Dalcross Station and a car park, indeed Network Rail’s recent submission of a planning application is evidence of progress.

“As is normal, the responsibility to ensure wider local and regional benefits are maximised lies with the Regional Transport Partnership; this would include the provision of a transport link between the new station and the airport terminal. Transport Scotland, of course, will continue to work with its project partners in their realisation of an appropriate transfer link between the station and the airport terminal.”

 

[najaB]

I don't doubt for a minute that they'll run a shuttle bus. It's just a question of if it'll be timetabled properly to allow reasonable connection between train and plane.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Can't help thinking that most people travelling from Inverness will continue to use the bus directly to the Airport rather than getting a train and walking probably a mile and a half, however "reasonable" the connection interval.
The distance to the terminal is unlikely to be less than at Teesside. I imagine more use will come from the Tornagrain development which will be a reasonable size by the time a station opens.

 

[najaB]

Can't help thinking that most people travelling from Inverness will continue to use the bus directly to the Airport rather than getting a train and walking probably a mile and a half, however "reasonable" the connection interval.

ScotRail and Highland Council could incentivise people to get the train by introducing an Inverness to Airport add-on ticket that includes train and shuttle for not much more than (or the same price as) the bus ticket.

If you're getting the train from, let's say Avimore it's one more change, but more of the journey is by train and the bus can be low-floor with luggage racks.

 

[takno]

ScotRail and Highland Council could incentivise people to get the train by introducing an Inverness to Airport add-on ticket that includes train and shuttle for not much more than (or the same price as) the bus ticket.

If you're getting the train from, let's say Avimore it's one more change, but more of the journey is by train and the bus can be low-floor with luggage racks.

It's only 8.5 miles from the town centre to the airport, which isn't exactly an arduous bus journey for most people, and looks like it could be done in about 15 minutes, 20 tops. I can't see why anybody would choose to add a connection into that. Depending on where the station is getting built, it looks to me like about a kilometre walk, which I'd happily do, but I suspect I'd be in the minority there.

 

[najaB]

It's only 8.5 miles from the town centre to the airport, which isn't exactly an arduous bus journey for most people, and looks like it could be done in about 15 minutes, 20 tops. I can't see why anybody would choose to add a connection into that. Depending on where the station is getting built, it looks to me like about a kilometre walk, which I'd happily do, but I suspect I'd be in the minority there.

For the Avimore to Airport passenger they're going to have to change a Inverness anyway.

Train to train, plus low train to low-floor bus with luggage rack on a single ticket may be more appealing to some than platform to bus station and a regular service bus on a separate ticket if the price is (about) the same.

 

[QueensCurve]

Oh dear, surely someone's thought about this?

The comparison with Aberdeen isn't entirely fair since Dyce station is in a real town and does a lot more than serve a distant airport terminal more easily reached by the dedicated bus service from the city centre. You'd have to be a pretty determined rail user to try to get to Aberdeen Airport via Dyce station. But there's got to be something linking Dalcross to Inverness Airport, until the place gets surrounded by new houses it makes little sense otherwise?

Highland MSP appeals for further clarity on transport at new airport railway station

A Highland MSP has voiced concerns over how passengers arriving at the new Inverness Airport railway station will get to the terminal building. Network

www.pressandjournal.co.uk

How about a travelator like the one at Manchester airport?

 

[takno]

For the Avimore to Airport passenger they're going to have to change a Inverness anyway.

Train to train, plus low train to low-floor bus with luggage rack on a single ticket may be more appealing to some than platform to bus station and a regular service bus on a separate ticket if the price is (about) the same.

Not sure why the bus from the city centre wouldn't be low-floor and from directly outside the station. Integrated fares hardly seem like an insoluble problem from the town centre either.

If it was a more regular train and was guaranteed to be met by a bus people would be game, but otherwise I reckon the only airport traffic it will pick up will be from the east

How about a travelator like the one at Manchester airport?

There are about 100 times as many passengers at Manchester, a larger proportion of whom are arriving by public transport. A travelator would be a rather expensive white* elephant

Other colours of travelator are available

 

[najaB]

If it was a more regular train and was guaranteed to be met by a bus people would be game...

Hence my earlier comment about timetabling. The shuttle bus should run such that it arrives at the station about five minutes before each train is due.

 

[Stathern Jc]

Another possibility is for an agreement of some sort with the operator of the bus from Inverness to make an extra stop at the new station. That would be of particular benefit to travellers from Nairn and beyond.

Update:
Just looked at the timetable for the Stagecoach No 11 service from Inverness to Nairn. That goes along the A96 and into the airport before going on to Nairn via Ardersier.
As it goes around the roundabout to which the access road to the new station will connect that seems straightforward.
The service is generally half-hourly from Inverness from 0745 to 1830 and others from 0500 to 2315, all calling at the airport.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Not sure why the bus from the city centre wouldn't be low-floor and from directly outside the station. Integrated fares hardly seem like an insoluble problem from the town centre either.

Indeed the Inverness - Inverness Airport service has been using low floor buses for over 17 years now...

Oh dear, surely someone's thought about this?

The comparison with Aberdeen isn't entirely fair since Dyce station is in a real town and does a lot more than serve a distant airport terminal more easily reached by the dedicated bus service from the city centre. You'd have to be a pretty determined rail user to try to get to Aberdeen Airport via Dyce station. But there's got to be something linking Dalcross to Inverness Airport, until the place gets surrounded by new houses it makes little sense otherwise?

You rarely see any Airport passengers using Dyce, it's mostly just residents from the area, people who work in the industrial estate, people going to the Heliports at that side of the Airport or poor tourists who don't realise the railway station is at the wrong side of the Airport. There was a bus service that connected the station with the Airport on a 20 minute frequency but it has been reduced to hourly with no evening/sunday service due to Covid. The issue with building a new line to connect with the Airport isn't that it's not possible, it's more that the costs wouldn't be worth the limited revenue it would bring.

 

[GusB]

Another possibility is for an agreement of some sort with the operator of the bus from Inverness to make an extra stop at the new station. That would be of particular benefit to travellers from Nairn and beyond.

Update:
Just looked at the timetable for the Stagecoach No 11 service from Inverness to Nairn. That goes along the A96 and into the airport before going on to Nairn via Ardersier.
As it goes around the roundabout to which the access road to the new station will connect that seems straightforward.
The service is generally half-hourly from Inverness from 0745 to 1830 and others from 0500 to 2315, all calling at the airport.

Not quite. The 11A and 11B go from Inverness via the airport and to Ardersier, with some journeys via Culloden and/or Tornagrain. The 11 is Inverness via the airport to Nairn; it heads back onto the A96 before heading east. Some journeys go via Tornagrain. Having said that, the current timetable is dated from 25th January, so your information may have been correct at the time of your post, and everything has been re-jigged considerably since the last time I used the service (pre-covid).

I wonder if, once the station is open, a shuttle bus running Airport > Dalcross Station > Tornagrain (perhaps even extending to Croy) may be better, and connecting with the 10 and 11 at the station. This gives passengers from places along the A96 which aren't served by rail a connection to the airport and might allow the 11 to skip the airport entirely.

 

[Stathern Jc]

I'm only an occasional bus user since covid so thanks for the prompt on the timetable change, that seems to catch me out every time!

Suspect the bus operator might be reluctant to miss out the airport and would make their case of a direct service to the door of the airport rather than an interchange at the station.
However your suggestion of a link between Tornagrain and the station / airport is likely to become more attactive as the new village grows.

 

[Jordan Adam]

Not quite. The 11A and 11B go from Inverness via the airport and to Ardersier, with some journeys via Culloden and/or Tornagrain. The 11 is Inverness via the airport to Nairn; it heads back onto the A96 before heading east. Some journeys go via Tornagrain. Having said that, the current timetable is dated from 25th January, so your information may have been correct at the time of your post, and everything has been re-jigged considerably since the last time I used the service (pre-covid).

I wonder if, once the station is open, a shuttle bus running Airport > Dalcross Station > Tornagrain (perhaps even extending to Croy) may be better, and connecting with the 10 and 11 at the station. This gives passengers from places along the A96 which aren't served by rail a connection to the airport and might allow the 11 to skip the airport entirely.

Under the recently cancelled service changes which will likely go ahead in a few months time the network was going to be revised with the 11 withdrawn, 11A (to Ardersier) renumbered 11, new service 5 operating to Tornagrain via Culloden Battlefield & Croy and a new X12 operating Inverness to Nairn via Raigmore Hopsital, Highlands Uni, Shopping Park and then direct along the A96 to Nairn missing out the Airport.

I wonder if their long term plan might have been to increase the frequency on the 5 to half hourly and extend it to the Airport, combined with the 11 it could provide a 15 minute frequency between the rail station and Airport. It was pretty evident based on those proposals that the Elgin - Airport link provided by the 11 which connects with the 10 at Nairn isn't that well used.

 

[Sox]

There doesn't seem any getting away from the fact that the new airport railway station is being planned to be built in fundamentally the wrong place.

Maybe semi-ok for catching the train from/to easterly destinations but from Inverness you may as well jump into a taxi (if there's 2 or more of you, or if the journey's on expenses) or catch a bus all the way to the terminal.

 

[najaB]

There doesn't seem any getting away from the fact that the new airport railway station is being planned to be built in fundamentally the wrong place.

I'd say that building it next to the railway line, as opposed to some distance away from it makes it exactly the right place!

 

[snowball]

I'd say that building it next to the railway line, as opposed to some distance away from it makes it exactly the right place!

Originally said of Dent station, I believe.

 

[yorkie]

This thread is to discuss what is actually happening with the upgrade.

Just a gentle reminder that all speculative ideas belong in the Speculative Ideas section, please.

There is a thread dedicated to potential improvements to this line here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/could-we-see-additional-stations-and-further-improvements-to-the-aberdeen-inverness-line.213918/

 

[Norther Monkey]

Indeed the Inverness - Inverness Airport service has been using low floor buses for over 17 years now...

You rarely see any Airport passengers using Dyce, it's mostly just residents from the area, people who work in the industrial estate, people going to the Heliports at that side of the Airport or poor tourists who don't realise the railway station is at the wrong side of the Airport. There was a bus service that connected the station with the Airport on a 20 minute frequency but it has been reduced to hourly with no evening/sunday service due to Covid. The issue with building a new line to connect with the Airport isn't that it's not possible, it's more that the costs wouldn't be worth the limited revenue it would bring.

From Aberdeen you're right - the bus is the obvious choice. However for those of us travelling from the west (and there's plenty of us) the lack of a regular bus connection is hugely frustrating, and often means I either drive or get picked up in a car when I'd much rather use the train. This is compounded by the poor rail frequency beyond Inverurie and the high price of taxis between Dyce and the airport.

That said; if travelling light, and there's time between flight and train, the 3 mile walk helps keep your step count up!

There doesn't seem any getting away from the fact that the new airport railway station is being planned to be built in fundamentally the wrong place.

Maybe semi-ok for catching the train from/to easterly destinations but from Inverness you may as well jump into a taxi (if there's 2 or more of you, or if the journey's on expenses) or catch a bus all the way to the terminal.

I've often felt that in the case of Inverness and Aberdeen airports (plus possibly Luton and others) it's the terminal that has been built in the wrong place. As the railway existed long before the airports and are inflexible in terms of movement, in hindsight it would have been better to have the terminals positioned to take advantage of the preexisting railway infrastructure.

 

[najaB]

I've often felt that in the case of Inverness and Aberdeen airports (plus possibly Luton and others) it's the terminal that has been built in the wrong place. As the railway existed long before the airports and are inflexible in terms of movement, in hindsight it would have been better to have the terminals positioned to take advantage of the preexisting railway infrastructure.

An exceedingly good point and well made, Sir.

 

[47271]

An exceedingly good point and well made, Sir.

It is a good point, if taking us off topic, and just about every major Scottish airport suffers from this problem, with current terminal buildings seemingly perversely built as far as possible from the nearby main rail line.

Inverness is probably the least grievous example in that it is relatively lightly used and its terminal has never been moved away, but both Aberdeen and Edinburgh once had their main buildings right next to the railway, only to see them relocated as far across the airfield as possible in 1970s redevelopment.

At Glasgow the western end of the main runway is 300yds from the main Inverclyde line, but it seems that no one bothered to consider this when the terminal and M8 were built. Fifty years later the city still argues about a rail link.

Even Dundee could have a station if traffic justified it.

The only Scottish airport with a station within walking distance is Prestwick. If only it had air services...

 

[och aye]

Interestingly Inverness Airport has just unveiled its draft 2020 master plan and consultation. Option 4 (and the most expensive option) is to build a new terminal by the railway line. You can check out the full plan here:

https://www.invernessairport.co.uk/...-Plan-2020-Condensed-Consultation-Version.pdf

and submit feedback via this link here:

Inverness Airport – Highlands and Islands Airports Limited

Highland and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) is a public corporation wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers. The company operates and manages 11 Airports at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Dundee, Islay, Inverness, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick John O’Groats.

www.invernessairport.co.uk