Scottish Ministers have approved Nestrans Regional Transport Strategy 2040.
The minister for transport told the transport partnership that the “strategy fulfills the role required of a high-level document in that it describes your approach to working with your constituent councils to support the Scottish Government’s key purpose and national outcomes, the National Transport Strategy 2 and agreed regional and local transport priorities.”
Delivery of the strategy and transport improvements in the North East is a matter for Nestrans and its two constituent councils (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire).
The report includes a number of local objectives:
• Develop the principle of an Aberdeen Rapid Transit scheme, to provide express service journey times, frequency and reliability to encourage a mode shift. See indicative map.
• Confirms that a high-quality park & ride facility to the south of Aberdeen at Portlethen is still a priority.
• Upgrade existing active travel routes and develop a network of high quality and safe active travel routes across the region, focusing on the key priorities including Stonehaven to Aberdeen city centre via Chapelton, Portlethen, Cove, Altens, Torry and the South Harbour. Wherever possible routes should be segregated and road space reallocation should also be considered to allow cyclists, pedestrians and wheelers (especially those less confident and able) sufficient space.
• To work with ScotRail to develop travel plans for all rail stations in the North east to identify capacity constraints and requirements for expanded parking facilities, including Portlethen.
• The provision of improved access to the railway network by considering opportunities for additional stations, better integration of local services with InterCity services, full access for all and improved access to stations by non-car modes.
• Undertake a review of the cross-Aberdeen local rail corridor (Montrose-Aberdeen-Inverurie) and previous Crossrail business case to determine whether there remain markets that may be appropriately served by improved access to rail. Development of business cases for additional stations to enhance the viability of the local cross-Aberdeen rail service, with new stations providing access to the railway for an increasing proportion of the North east population, with delivery of additional stations where a viable business case is proven.
The meeting went on to briefly discuss the recent public consultation survey by consultants AECOM on the Aberdeen to Laurencekirk corridor. There was an “excellent response” with 1,106 online surveys completed, as well as some stakeholders emailing through a more detailed response.
This of course included questions about whether stations should reopen at Newtonhill and Cove.
AECOM and Nestrans officers are going through the results and a report will be available for the next Board meeting on 8 December.