Commuter rail links to Highland capital extended

Published on 13/12/2005 00:51

NEW rail services launched yesterday mean hundreds of morning business commuters can now travel to Inverness by train for the first time.

First ScotRail flagged off 14 additional rail services in the Highlands, including commuter links between Inverness and Kingussie in Strathspey and Lairg in Sutherland.

The new timetable will, for the first time, give people from Lairg and Kingussie the opportunity to arrive in the city by train before 9am.

If the new links are successful other services could be introduced in the future. The 2 million Invernet project is funded by the Scottish Executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the Highland Rail Partnership, HiTrans, the region's strategic transport agency, and the Highland Council.

Previous commuter services have run to Inverness from Tain in Ross-shire, but this has now been extended to Lairg.

On the West Highland Line, there is now also a rail service from Arrochar and Tarbet, linking east Argyll to Glasgow, which will allow commuters to arrive in the city at 8:26am and provides park and ride options from these stations.