Residents yesterday welcomed a report illustrating that plans to restore a railway station to a growing Aberdeenshire village have moved another step closer.
Plans to reopen Kintore Railway Station after 50 years are on track, according to a report indicating that the parties involved are preparing to launch an official planning application later this year.
The project is being delivered by Aberdeenshire Council, Nestrans and Network Rail.
The new station would be located off the village’s Northern Road and is expected to be funded by the Scottish Stations Investment Fund, Nestran’s capital programme and the council’s capital plan.
The village’s rail station was closed in 1964 after serving for years as a junction between the now-defunct Alford line and Aberdeen.
The report stated that Nestrans and Aberdeenshire Council “continue to work alongside Network Rail and others, to develop a new station at Kintore, and to put in place the necessary funding, consents, land acquisition and designs.”
Councillor Martin Ford, a long-standing campaigner for a station at Kintore, said: “The intention is to have a new Kintore station in place and ready to come into use in spring 2019, when the wider upgrade of the Aberdeen to Inverness rail line is due to be completed.
“As set out in the report to Nestrans, various steps are necessary to allow a new station to be built.
“Work to deliver all of these requirements is on-going, or planning for them is underway.
“There is no doubt about the strong local desire for a rail halt in Kintore, and every reason to be confident a new station will see good levels of use.
“And good progress is being made with the preparatory work necessary to enable a station to be built.”
Chairman of Kintore community council, Brain Johnston, said: “I’m pleased that the project is moving forward without delay.
“I’m very happy for the people of Kintore who have to rely on other methods of transport so it’s a big step forwards.
“I am also delighted with the support of Aberdeenshire Council and Nestrans in ensuring progress is being made on this project.”