A £41 MILLION project giving West Fifers quicker and easier access to Edinburgh Airport should open in December.

An interchange station is being built at Gogar to allow passengers to transfer from the train to a new stop on the capital's tram network. They can then take the tram directly to the airport.

Douglas Chapman, MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said: "The Scottish Government is keen to see new ways of getting to the airport, without having to take the car, and connecting the Fife to Edinburgh railway line is the best way to do this.

"This project will help reduce congestion, it's environmentally-friendly and will be a popular link for holidaymakers and travellers from Fife, and indeed the north-east of Scotland, to get to the nation's busiest airport."

The Edinburgh Gateway will consist of two 265-metre, 10-car platforms and boast 1,500 square metres of concourse and circulation space.

A step-free access bridge will link the platforms within the station and connect to the tram stop via lifts and escalators.

An underpass beneath the A8 will also provide access from the nearby Gyle Shopping Centre.

It's always been a source of frustration for passengers that, while the Fife to Edinburgh rail line runs right past the end of the runway, they have to travel into the city centre to get a connecting bus or tram back out to the airport.

That's set to change and Mr Chapman added: "I understand that Edinburgh Airport, in conjunction with the tram company and ScotRail, are trying to negotiate a single ticket system that will make the process as smooth and as quick as possible for rail passengers.

"I'm confident that a speedy and efficient system will be in place when it is scheduled to open at the end of this year."

The new interchange station is part of the Scottish Government-funded Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

It's delivering electrification across the central belt with the aim of reducing journey times and increasing capacity by improving the infrastructure to enable longer, faster, greener trains to run.

Engineers have been on site at Gogar since January 2015 and the station is scheduled to open in December.

While there are concerns in West Fife about proposed new flightpaths from the airport, to cope with increased demand for air travel, there have also been moves to make it easier for West Fifers to get to the departure lounge.

As well as the new interchange, Stagecoach's 747 bus service which connects Halbeath and Ferrytoll park and rides with the airport, now runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.