ScotRail is expanding its timetable in the North East from Sunday 9 December. And the news that this will include more trains stopping at Portlethen has been welcomed by local councillor Ian Mollison.

Improvements to the Monday-Saturday timetable include Portlethen gaining a total of five more calls a day, including services to Inverurie and Glasgow. On a Sunday there will be four more calls at Portlethen.

Councillor Mollison said: “I am pleased that ScotRail and Transport Scotland are improving the train service between Aberdeen, Stonehaven and the south. At the ScotRail customer forum in Stonehaven in June I called for more trains to call at the stations between Aberdeen and Dundee, especially Portlethen.

“These changes are a step in the right direction but further improvements are necessary – including a re-opened station at Newtonhill – so that we have a service that fully meets the needs of local travellers whether commuting or going on longer journeys.”