Increase in use of Moray's train stations

THE amount of rail users in Moray is on the rise, according to recently-released data.

Moray's three train stations, Forres, Elgin and Keith, saw a combined increase in travellers over the course of the 2018-19 financial year.

Estimates from the Office for Road and Rail (ORR) predict the number of users has risen by 1.2 per cent Moray-wide from the period covering 2017-18.

Forres, which saw a new station open in October 2017, has seen a steep increase in numbers, although Keith has seen an even steeper decrease.

Elgin train station saw a 2.2 per cent rise in use from 2017-18 to 2018-19, while Forres' new station saw a seven per cent rise in usage. Keith's station, however, saw 9.8 per cent less commuters enter or exit.

Moray's total number of travellers increased from 507,476 to 513,608. An estimated 306,206 entered or exited Elgin's station, with 126,290 at Forres and 81,112 at Keith.

Several improvements were made to the Inverness-Aberdeen line across the 2018-19 period, including an extension to the Elgin platform.

A Scotrail spokesperson said: "We want to encourage as many people as possible to travel by train, and to make their journey a seamless one.

"The Aberdeen to Inverness improvement works were a huge success and are playing a critical role in delivering a better service for our customers in Moray, as we continue to invest in Scotland’s Railway.

"The December 2019 timetable delivered significant improvements for customers, and we are looking forward to making even more enhancements to take full advantage of the infrastructure improvements that have been delivered."

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