Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils invite public input on the Aberdeen Rapid Transit (ART) scheme until 7 November. Planners say the scheme “could rival Edinburgh’s trams, or Glasgow’s Subway.”
ART will be a new transport service that connects the heart of the city to the peripheries. It will operate as a middle ground between a tram and a bus, with dedicated lanes and stations throughout the city. According to Nestrans, the organisation planning the service, it will offer “fast, frequent, and reliable services.”
SNP Councillor Michael Hutchison, chair of Nestrans, stated that “the North East deserves a modern public transport network.”
Liberal Democrat Councillor Anne Stirling added that “Aberdeen Rapid Transit has the potential to transform how many people travel in and around our city and region, making journeys faster, more reliable and more sustainable.”
The service will have two routes: Westhill to Blackdog, and Portlethen to Craibstone. Both routes will pass through the centre of the city, visiting Union Square shopping centre, University of Aberdeen’s campus in Old Aberdeen, and the Royal Infirmary hospital.
The scheme will be a part of a wider project to transform the city delivered in the next 5-10 years, and will be modelled off similar services that run in other UK cities such as Belfast.
Belfast’s ‘Glider’ service cost £95 million in 2018 and transformed Belfast’s public transport, with a transport boss claiming public transit increased by 70%. Merely three years after construction finished, Belfast officials increased fleet size due to its popularity. Further construction of Belfast’s Glider service was to begin this year with zero-emissions electric-battery buses set to replace the old fleet.
Both routes will pass through the centre of the city, visiting Union Square shopping centre, University of Aberdeen’s campus in Old Aberdeen, and the Royal Infirmary hospital.
Aberdeen’s equivalent ‘rapid transport’ project will look to establish the city as “net-zero capital of the world” per Aberdeen Council’s website. ART is hoped to provide a clean, sustainable alternative to air polluting cars on roads.
Funding for ART has been secured from the Aberdeen City Regional Deal which sees £250 million from the UK and Scottish governments as part of an £826 million funding package for the Aberdeen City Region.
According to reports, the transport investment into Aberdeen may cost as much as £323 million.
As much public input as possible is needed, expressed Councillor Hutchison, adding “this engagement will allow people to have their say, so that public transport meets the needs of the public as best it can”
According to reports, the transport investment into Aberdeen may cost as much as £323 million.
Councillor Stirling also spoke on the need for public consultation, “To make sure this initiative truly reflects local needs, we want to hear directly from the people who will use it. I would encourage everyone […] to take part in the consultation and share your views.”
Beginning 7 October, there will be public meetings held in Foresterhill, Westhill (10 October), Bon Accord (23 October), Portlethen (31 October), and online (28 October). These meetings will be looking to engage with the public and find out how the best the planners can cooperate with the public’s needs.
To find out more about the public engagement meetings, visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/news/2025/oct/aberdeen-rapid-transit-engagement-begins.
