£15m Highland train station officially opens
Passengers will be able to use the station from tomorrow
Last updated 2nd Feb 2023
A new train station at Inverness Airport has been officially opened.
Passengers will be welcomed at the station from tomorrow, which is part of a wider £42 million Scottish Government investment in Scotland’s Railway.
It's hoped the facility will improve connectivity between the airport and Inverness, particularly links with new town Tornagrain.
Easier access between Inverness and Aberdeen
The official ceremony earlier today included Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth, Scotland's Railway Managing Director Alex Hynes and Croy Primary schoolchildren.
The station has step-free access via a foot-bridge with lifts and has 64 car parking spaces with 10 electric charging facilities, four disabled spaces and cycle parking.
Ms Gilruth hopes it will lead to more people choosing rail over car travel.
She said: "I am delighted that Inverness Airport station is now complete and that services will start calling at the station for the first time this Friday .
"The site was one of my earliest visits as Transport Minister and gives me a first-hand opportunity to see the significant progress that has been made in a short space of time.
"The £42 million package provided by the Scottish Government, including the station and wider rail network infrastructure investment will build resilience and additional capacity.
"By making rail a more attractive option, we can encourage more people to choose this sustainable transport option as an alternative to the car.
"By providing easy access for nearby communities to the key cities of Aberdeen and Inverness, we can encourage inward investment and housing growth, which will both support the local and wider economies.
"I’d like to thank everyone involved for the collaborative working that has delivered this fantastic new station."
Station will have "positive impact" on area
Alex Hynes added: "It is part of our commitment, alongside the Scottish Government, to expand the rail network and open-up Scotland’s Railway to new communities.
"The opening of the station at Inverness Airport is an exciting development that has the potential to transform the area by improving transport connectivity and triggering further investment and economic growth around the site.
"We look forward to services calling at, and passengers using, Inverness Airport and to seeing the positive impact the station will have in the area in years to come."
Highlands and Islands Airports Limited Managing Director Inglis Lyon feels it's a big step towards ensuring the long-term sustainability and connectivity for the North of Scotland.
He said: "The last 12 months have brought a mixture of both optimism and challenge for HIAL, and the opening of this airport railway link is a major step forward in terms of recovery for the airport and surrounding business park.
"It is important we do all we can to support our customers and partners by working together to build back confidence in air travel, and the new rail link will be a significant factor in that process for Inverness."
HITRANS Chair Uisdean Robertson said: "We are delighted to see this project come to fruition, providing connectivity for airport staff and users, Inverness Airport Business Park visitors and employees, and residents of Tornagrain and the wider East Inverness area.
"It is the first new rail station for a Green Freeport, and it’s a station for the islands too - HITRANS Board Members and officers used the train today to access the airport to fly to Stornoway for a HITRANS Board meeting."
Station "won't deliver what passengers really want"
Highland Conservative MSP Edward Mountain feels station's location is on the "wrong side" of the airport.
He 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."