Inverness Airport railway station is officially opened
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Inverness Airport rail station was officially opened on Thursday, with the first passengers on the platform today.
The station was opened by Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth, with the first train to call at Inverness Airport piped onto the platform by none other than Aviemore's Spud the Piper.
Jenny Gilruth was welcomed by pupils from Croy Primary School, who joined her to plant a tree and bury a time capsule to mark the official opening of the station.
It provides another route to the airport in addition to the existing regular bus service. Following work by Hitrans it includes an upgraded active travel path linking with the airport terminal.
The walk to the station takes around 12 minutes, or people can catch a Stagecoach bus to take them to and from the new station.
The station will improve transport links to the town of Tornagrain and to Inverness Airport Business Park, acting as a catalyst for further investment and sustainable economic development in the region.
The Minister for Transport said: "Today is very exciting, as the last time I was here in March 2022 it was basically a building site.
“I am absolutely astounded to see the change, and it is fantastic to see the station come to life. It's excellent to see all the tree planting, the active travel links, and the electric vehicle charging infrastructure that is in place.
“There is a real buzz about the place, and people are excited to see the new station. I think it is going to represent a lot to the local community in terms of connectivity.”
The new station is part of a wider £42m Scottish Government investment in Scotland’s Railway which has seen the addition of a new 950 metre passing loop which will allow trains on the single line to pass in the opposite direction.
John Yellowlees, who is an honorary rail ambassador for Scotrail travelled north from Edinburgh for the occasion.
He said: "It is great to be here to see a station opening that adds to the rail network. This brings additional capacity, allowing two trains to pass each other and for services to run smoothly.
"There are also not many airports in Scotland that have their very own station. Inverness Airport moves into the top league, just like that.
"Its also important to realise that this is also for Tornagrain and Inverness Business Park so it is multi-purpose."
Alex Hynes, managing director of Scotland’s Railway, added: “It is a brilliant day. It is always excellent to see the rail network expand, and the new station is not just for the airport, but for the community who live in the local area.
“We have invested £42m in the new station, in the track and in the signalling works so we can operate more services more reliably."
SNP MSP Emma Roddick has also welcomed the opening of Inverness Airport rail station, commenting: “Today’s opening of the Inverness Airport Station is a fantastic addition to the city and I am delighted to see the station completed and open.
"I am sure that the opening of the station will help HIAL in its plans to grow and improve the airport.
“There is still much to do to improve railway infrastructure across the Highlands, including on the Far North Line and the Highland Mainline, but today marks an important milestone in the journey to ensure reliable and accessible railway services are available across the Highlands.”
However, there have been mixed reactions about the opening, as the station is around half a mile from Inverness Airport.
Highland Conservative MSP Edward Mountain said: “While I welcome this investment in the Highlands, it will not deliver what passengers really want, a fully-integrated transport hub.
“What we now have is a station on the wrong side of the Airport Terminal and also too far away from Tornagrain. It therefore won’t serve the needs of both places.
"This repeats the same mistake that was made with the locating of Dyce Railway Station.
“Transport from the station will be needed at further cost.
"Passengers won’t just walk the mile to the terminal in cold, dark and often wet conditions with their cases any more than government ministers would.”
