Scotland’s Railway, in partnership with key national and local stakeholders, is leading a feasibility study to explore the redevelopment of Blair Atholl station building.
The initiative, which is being led by ScotRail in partnership with Network Rail, Perth & Kinross Council, Friends of Blair Atholl Station, and the Highland Mainline Community Rail Partnership, aims to repurpose the historic station building into socially-rented residential housing.
The feasibility study will cover Stage 2 Feasibility and Design Costs, supporting the proposed conversion of the building into three much-needed affordable residential units.
The successful redevelopment of Blair Atholl station would:
- Provide a long-term, sustainable use for the currently vacant building.
- Make a significant contribution to addressing the demand for affordable housing in the local area.
- Protect and preserve the historical and architectural heritage of the station.
Blair Atholl station, which first opened in 1863, sits on the Highland Mainline. The station is well served with up to ten ScotRail services each day connecting the village with Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. The Caledonian Sleeper service also calls at Blair Atholl.
The ground floor of the station building previously housed a ticket office and customer facilities, however, these closed in the 1980s. The upper floor, originally the stationmaster’s residence, remained in use by a third-party tenant until 2022, but today, the building stands vacant.
While capital funding for any redevelopment works is yet to be secured, the launch of the feasibility study represents a major step forward in realising the project’s vision.
David Lister, ScotRail safety, sustainability & asset director, said: “The redevelopment of Blair Atholl station is a fantastic opportunity to bring a historic railway building back into meaningful use.
“This project would not only preserve a key piece of railway heritage but would also support the local community with the proposal to provide much-needed affordable housing.
“We are proud to be working with our partners to explore the potential of this redevelopment.”
Dr Viv Cree, Friends of Blair Atholl Station group chair, commented: “The Friends of Blair Atholl Station are delighted to support the next stage of the work which we hope will safeguard our much-loved station building and, at the same time, help to meet what is a pressing need in our community and across all rural areas across Scotland.
“We look forward to working with our partners to make this happen for the community.”
Image credit: Scotland’s Railway
