Highlands and Islands transport body Hitrans has proposed constructing a stop at Dalcross close to the airport on the Inverness to Aberdeen line at a cost of £2 million.

The proposed location of the development is adjacent to the C1017 airport access road, between the first and second roundabouts after leaving the existing A96, at the southern corner of the airfield.

After more than a decade on the drawing board, Hitrans said it could become the second busiest station in the Highlands after Inverness. Under the plans, every train on the Inverness to Aberdeen route will stop at the station.

The platform will be 575ft long – capable of accommodating high speed trains with five carriages and two engine cars, as proposed by operators Abellio for the network.

There will be a waiting area, cycle park, electric car point, bus stop, taxi rank, and barrier controlled access road.

The initial development will include 50 car parking spaces, but that will later rise to 150, while new link roads and cycle paths would be built to connect it to the existing airport access road.

As well as people travelling to the airport, the group believes the station would be used by residents of a new village being built at Tornagrain.

Frank Roach, partnership manager at Hitrans, told the Press & Journal that the project was the realisation of more than a decade of work.

“This starts the whole process. The fact we have a public consultation is firing the starting gun. After we have the consultation, we will submit the plans to the planners,” he said.

“It will make the whole area a more attractive place to live and do business in. It will add to connectivity – flights to the islands, which are important for Hitrans. It will enable folk from Moray to access the airport more effectively than they can at the moment.”

Mr Roach said: “Ultimately, it’s predicted to become the second busiest station in Highland. The forecast growth, employment, and housing will make this a very obvious site for further development.”

A public consultation event will be held at Inverness Airport terminal on Thursday next week, after which the planning application will be lodged.

If planning permission and funding are secured the station could be open in 2018.