Media centre

Tuesday 19 Dec 2017

Christmas break provides platform for Aberdeen investment

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Network Rail engineers will be working in Aberdeen station this Christmas to renew track as part of a project to introduce new trains to the station.

After the last train runs on Christmas Eve, engineers will begin replacing and realigning 250m of track on platform 7, dropping 950 tonnes of new ballast and laying 380 new sleepers.

The £1m project, which will be completed by start of service on December 27, is the first phase in upgrading the platform for the arrival of Virgin East Coats’ fleet of new Azuma trains.

In January 2018, engineers will begin work to upgrade the platform itself to ensure it can accommodate the new, faster and longer trains.

Simon Humble, Network Rail’s scheme project manager for the enhancement works, said: “This investment is vital to the long-term future of the station and paves the way for the introduction of a new state-of-the-art train fleet.

“The work is being delivered over the festive season to limit the impact of the project on passengers by taking advantage of what is a quieter time of year with fewer people travelling to work or school.”

Across Scotland this Christmas, Network Rail will complete more than £15m-worth of infrastructure upgrades with around 4,500 engineers working over 50,000 hours.

Signalling and tracks will be renewed and replaced at locations around Glasgow and work on the electrification of the network will also continue with new overhead powerlines and supporting equipment being installed on sections of the Stirling-Alloa-Dunblane route.

In Edinburgh, engineers will be working to enhance the railway through Edinburgh Waverley station and Princes Street Gardens.

Across Britain, more than 32,000 railway staff will be out delivering £160m-worth of work creating more reliable infrastructure, reducing journey times and improving facilities and services for passengers.