The Strathspey Railway Charitable Trust (the applicant), propose to build and operate an extension to the existing Strathspey Railway along the former railway line between the River Dulnain and Grantown on Spey. The proposed development will comprise a 4.8km extension to the existing Strathspey Railway, a new railway station and associated car parking at Grantown on Spey and road realignment work (including an underpass) to the A95 Trunk Road. In connection with that proposed development the applicant has requested under rule 6 of the TAWS Rules an opinion from the Scottish Ministers as to the information to be provided in the environmental statement to accompany their application under section 4 of the Transport and Works (Scotland) Act 2007.

The Scottish Ministers, consider that, subject to the comments contained in their scoping opinion response, the scope of the assessment proposed in the applicant’s Scoping Report is appropriate.

The Scoping Report and scoping opinion response are available:

Electronically on the TAWS Unit’s website: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/transport-and-works-scotland

and in hard copy at the following location:

TAWS Unit, Transport Scotland, 2E North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh, EH6 6QQ

The proposed development is currently at the pre-application stage of the process. The applicant has not yet submitted an application to the Scottish Ministers.

TAWS Unit

Transport Scotland

2E North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ

Email: TAWS@scotland.gsi.gov.uk