Mott MacDonald has been appointed to draw up detailed designs for the £6 million Inverness Station redevelopment project.

The company will work on how the Station's frontage, forecourt and concourse will look before tenders for the construction begin this autumn.

Features include enhanced shopping options in the concourse, along with a more dominant frontage, improved environment on Academy Street and upgraded links to Falcon Square. In addition, the bus station will also be included in the works.

Work on the fabric and fittings in and around the station will coincide with the arrival of a new fleet of trains in late 2018, in addition to track improvements between Aberdeen and Inverness.

An additional £1.9m of funding for the project is being allocated from the Scottish Station Fund. An application for increased funding will be made to the Inverness Townscape Heritage Fund later this year, as part of the ongoing redevelopment work around the city centre. Completion is scheduled for 2018.


ScotRail Alliance's project lead Peter O'Connell said: "We look forward to working with Mott Macdonald and to seeing the designs for the redevelopment. Inverness is ready for a railway station that matches the dynamic and forward-looking development of the cityscape.

"Close collaboration with Highland Council and HITRANS and working with our immediate neighbours at the station, will deliver the best possible improvements to facilities and services in and around Inverness station."

Kevin Haggarty, Mott MacDonald's project director, said: "We're excited to be partnering with the Scotrail Alliance to create a modern transport facility that will benefit the local people and businesses, and the many tourists that visit the region. Our teams across Scotland will deliver the project, working with our global network of experts to achieve the best result possible."

The Provost of Inverness Helen Carmichael added: "We warmly welcome the start of the design phase of the Inverness Rail Station Improvement project. This is the opportunity to transform the station and its surroundings so they are far safer and more accessible, as well as more attractive to commuters and tourists wishing to continue their journey, on foot or by bike, when they arrive in Inverness.

"The Highland Council is a key partner on this project, working closely with Abellio ScotRail and HITRANS to deliver one of the main actions from the City Centre Development Brief. The improved integration of transport services and infrastructure at Inverness Railway Station will encourage more people to visit Inverness and the Highlands, in a low-carbon way."

(LM/JP)