Pitlochry train station will get a major overhaul later this year as part of a £20 million upgrade of the Highland mainline.
Plans for the make-over, which involves upgrading platforms and replacing old signalling posts, have been given the go ahead by Perth and Kinross Council.
Network Rail hopes the project will help cut journey times between Perth and Inverness by 10 minutes. It will also clear the way for a more frequent, hourly service and faster intercity trains.
With permission granted for work on the A-listed property, the upgrade is expected to get under way over five weekends in November and October. Rail bosses have warned the project will involve some short line closures.
There was some concern locally that the work could disrupt the Enchanted Forest event which is held near Pitlochry around the same time.
However, organisers said they don’t believe the project will have much of an impact, with very few visitors arriving by train.
In her report, council planning officer Marianna Porter said: “The timber platforms proposed for removal are in poor condition and unlikely to be part of the original station.
“They are to be replaced with considerably larger platforms in a revised layout, using contemporary materials.”
She said that the loss of the station’s historic semaphore signal — to be replaced by coloured lights — was “regrettable”, but it was “accepted that it is redundant and that relocation to the Strathspey Heritage Railway will ensure its preservation.”
A Network Rail spokesman said: “This work will help to transform travel on the Highland mainline, enabling the introduction of intercity trains and improving the timetable to deliver more services.
“Throughout this project, we will work closely with our contractors, train operators and other partners to deliver in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible whilst minimising disruption to both line-side communities and passengers.”
A date for the work has still to be set.
Zoë Squair, Enchanted Forest producer and production manager, said: “We expect that the improvement work at Pitlochry Railway Station will have a minimal effect on The Enchanted Forest event as only a very small number of our visitors travel by train.
“However, we are working closely with contractors BAM Nuttall to ensure that any potential disruption is minimised.”
