Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth MSP has joined representatives from Morrison Construction and ScotRail for the official opening of Aberdeen Station, with a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the milestone.

The recently completed £8m redevelopment of the station by Morrison Construction Building North East has created a new look and feel to the region's largest station, making significant enhancements to the passenger interfaces, while improving the quality and variety of the station's retail facilities.

Working in partnership with ScotRail and the Railway Heritage Trust, the team has delivered works including the relocation of the existing ticket office and first-class lounge, the redevelopment of staff accommodation and enhancements to the current retail provision and improvements to the external taxi rank, station entrance hall, connectivity with Union Square and the wider Aberdeen city centre and increased cycle parking arrangements to reduce carbon emissions.

The redevelopment of the station will not only benefit customers in the North East area as more services and faster journeys will be gradually delivered, but restoring the A-listed landmark keeps the station at the heart of Aberdeen city centre and maintains the North Corner Pavilion Buildings' important heritage to the rail network in Scotland.

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Peter Wilson, Commercial Director of Morrison Construction North East, commented: "Our team has worked incredibly hard on the historic Aberdeen Station project and we are delighted to hand it over to ScotRail. We are pleased that these works will benefit visitors and the people of North East of Scotland for future generations to come."

Jenny Gilruth, Minister for Transport, said: "It's great to be here today to see at first-hand how the Scottish Government's £6m contribution is helping people travelling to and from Aberdeen make full use of the upgraded Aberdeen Station. I'd like to thank all the partners involved in this project which shows how transformational change can be delivered collectively.

"At a time when we seek to encourage more people out of their cars on to rail, this project is an excellent example of the way in which the public sector and the industry can build a modern railway that is more attractive to existing and potential passengers."

Alex Hynes, Managing Director of ScotRail, said: "I'm absolutely delighted to see the redevelopment of Aberdeen Station now complete and officially open. Our engineers, contractors, project and station teams have done an excellent job in delivering better facilities for customers and railway staff, which have helped modernise this historic and iconic station.

"We know the more we make rail an attractive, safe, and secure transport choice, the more people will consider using the train as an alternative to the car. This investment is a key part of our plan to deliver a more modern railway for Scotland as we continue to encourage more customers back after the pandemic."