With thanks to Tom Collins, Press Officer, Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MP MSP
MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Alex Salmond, has welcomed a response from Transport Minister Derek Mackay MSP on Monday (1 February 2016) informing him that Network Rail are progressing well with rail improvements between Aberdeen and Inverness.
The 108-mile route is set to benefit from a £170 million upgrade which will include platform extensions, signalling enhancements and the re-doubling of the line between Aberdeen and Inverurie.
Mr Salmond had also raised the issue of the need to mitigate for flooding along the line, to reduce the risk of disruption to services.
In his response, Mr Mackay said:
“The project remains on target for completion by March 2019, and within the spending cap.
“With regard to flood mitigation, Network Rail is working with industry partners to make Scotland’s rail infrastructure more resilient to the current and predicted weather and climate change impacts across the network. This should help to ensure that efficient and reliable train services are maintained, including those between Aberdeen and Inverness.”
Mr Salmond said:
“The upgrading of this service is good news for the people of the North East and will ensure that the full potential of the corridor of prosperity between Aberdeen and Inverness will be realised quickly and efficiently. I met with representatives of Network Rail last month, and I am pleased that their work remains on schedule.
“The redoubling of the line between Inverurie and Aberdeen, alongside the new station at Kintore will only serve to enhance these benefits of this essential transport link and help bring new people and opportunities to our local communities and what they offer.”
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My how the mighty have fallen. It seems like only yesterday that Alex Salmond was urging us to join the “Arc of Prosperity” as he described the then”tiger economies” of Ireland and Iceland just before they went bust, whilst holding up his erstwhile best friend – Fred Goodwin as the man to inspire us. Now he is urging us to embrace the “corridor of prosperity” between Inverness and Aberdeen, presumably to enable Highlanders to benefit from the thousands of non – existent job opportunities he promised would be created by another of his former best friends – Donald Trump on the Menie Estate.
From world domination to extending platforms at Inverurie Station. What’s not to laugh at?