Up to £6 million is to be invested to refurbish Inverness railway station.

Delegates attending a major rail conference in the city earlier this week were told by Peter O'Connell, ScotRail's Head of Commercial Development, that funding for the first phase at the project is in place and work will get underway by late summer this year.

At the event, Mr O'Connell said early investment would see improvements to Station Square, with tender documents being issued to secure potential contractors in spring.

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Later phases involve major improvements to Strothers Lane, leading to Inverness Bus Station, and on Falcon Square, leading to the Eastgate Shopping Centre. This work is scheduled to start in spring 2019. Features will include improvements to the main concourse and creating new retail units.

Elsewhere, upgrades will be carried out to Station Square to make the area pedestrian friendly, while the Royal Highland Hotel would require eight new parking spaces with no bus drop offs in the Square.

Mr O'Connell said discussions will continue with the hotel owners in a bid to relocate their parking spaces away from Station Square. Alternatives include increased parking provision at both Eastgate Falcon Gallery Car Parking and Rose Street Old Town Multi Storey Car Park.

Cllr Allan Henderson, Chairman of HITRANS, said: "It is great news to hear that the funding is in place for this transformational project to get under way and that we now have timescales for taking it forward."

(LM)