Work is set to get under way to make Broughty Ferry station suitable for high-speed trains.
Community leaders have reacted with delight at the news, which could help to grow the area’s profile and bring more visitors to the shops.
It comes as discussions continue over the station building’s future.
Opinion: On the fast track
It’s great to see Broughty Ferry’s railway station getting an upgrade which would allow more rail services to stop there.
It is hoped that the improvement would mean more visitors to the town’s shopping district.
Local folk are rightly proud of the area and its unique identity as a suburb and tourist destination. If the move helps bring more people to Broughty Ferry, or improve services for local folk, then it can only be good news.
Jan McTaggart, a member of the Broughty Ferry Traders’ Association, wants to see the station building re-imagined as a community space.
She said: “This is terrific news. I think that all the conversations I’ve been having with people in Broughty Ferry and beyond demonstrates a real enthusiasm for making the most of this valuable local asset.
“It’s wonderful that this is being recognised and that Network Rail is continuing to invest in the site in preparation for more trains in 2018.”
A Network Rail spokeswoman said a project is being developed to support the launch of new trains as part of the Intercity Express Programme (IEP).
The IEP will replace ageing Intercity 125 high-speed trains with faster, higher capacity and more environmentally friendly services.
She said: “As part of this project, detailed survey work is being carried out to determine what adjustments are required at stations along the route to enable the new rolling stock to run. Broughty Ferry’s station has been identified as one of the locations where construction work is required to address the stepping distance issue on the Edinburgh-bound platform.”
The work is provisionally scheduled to take place in late 2017/early 2018 as part of a programme of work on the Aberdeen to Edinburgh route.
The spokeswoman added: “In the meantime, train staff can offer special assistance for anyone that needs to disembark or alight trains at the station.”