Could Cove and Newtonhill finally be getting their own train stations?

Cove and Newtonhill could finally be connected via rail at a cost of £40m, according to new plans by Nestrans.

Proposals are being considered to link the two communities to the wider north-east rail network.

This would mean two additional stops on the East Coast line between Aberdeen and Laurencekirk in the future.

Nestrans is reviewing ways to promote active travel across the north-east and the new stations are two of five key measures identified in a public study.

In the report it outlined the cases for both stations which each have a price tag of £20m.

The study, commissioned in 2023, explored a range of options that would encourage people to ditch the car for more sustainable travel.

The study found the number of people who use the car to travel between Newtonhill/Cove and Aberdeen was higher than the national average.

Nestrans agreed this week that five key issues should be looked at in further detail.

Both new train stations would cost £20m

These included two new stations at Cove and Newtonhill as well as bus priority routes in Aberdeen, a mobility hub to the south of the city and improved travel infrastructure between Aberdeen and Stonehaven.

The two new stations would service thousands of potential passengers each day as they travel into Aberdeen or down to the Dundee and the central belt.

Newtonhill has a population of more than 3,000, while Cove has more than 8,000.

Currently, it takes nearly an hour on the bus to travel from Newtonhill to Aberdeen city centre.

While Cove is closer, it could still take more than 30 minutes to get into the city centre depending on where you live.

There is support behind the plans with local football team Cove Rangers believing a new station would be a major boost to the area.

Jordan Jack, the general secretary of the Campaign for North East Rail which is seeking to reconnect towns like Peterhead and Fraserburgh to the rail network, also praised the decision.

He said: “CNER welcome the decision to include stations at Cove and Newtonhill as part of a detailed options appraisal.

“This is the final study stage for transport projects in the Scottish system, and our campaign will continue to do all we can do see the benefits of rail links delivered to the communities of Cove and Newtonhill.”

North-east MSP Liam Kerr said the two new stations would “bring substantial benefits to both communities”.