Multi-million pound proposals to reintroduce a railway line north of Aberdeen and upgrade the region’s busiest road have taken a step forward.

Transport partnership Nestrans is considering how to overhaul road and rail links in Buchan and has appointed two consultancy firms.

US engineering firm Aecom will review the rail infrastructure, while transport consultant group Systra will investigate how the A90 between Ellon and Peterhead could be improved.

In a report to the Nestrans board, which will meet next Wednesday, director Derick Murray said: “At its meeting on September 30, 2016, the board received an update on the Fraserburgh and Peterhead to Aberdeen Strategic Transport Study and agreed to instruct further work to develop further the road and rail options that had emerged from the study.”