Waverley Steps escalators sealed off over rain leaks
Dampness is evident at the foot of the Waverley escalators
NEW escalators at Waverley Steps were out of action again today – less than two weeks after they were installed.
Rail bosses said they had been sealed off as a safety precaution because the roof above had not been sealed properly and rain was able to get through.
Six escalators were built at Waverley Steps as part of a £7 million revamp project which saw the direct access from Princes Street to Waverley station closed for a year and passengers diverted through the Princes Mall shopping centre.
The steps have been rebuilt alongside the escalators at just over half their width, providing a choice of how to make the 40-foot ascent.
But last week one of the escalators broke down within 24 hours of the grand opening.
Last night, the lower “up” escalator was out of action while maintenance staff worked on it.
At this morning’s rush hour, both the “up” and “down” escalators closest to Princes Street were taped off.
A spokeswoman for Network Rail said the problem was with the glass roof, not the escalators.
She said: “They are not damaged. They have been switched off as a safety precaution. Part of the roof has not yet been sealed and there is water coming down.
“We are waiting for the weather conditions to get better to seal it properly.”
Before the refurbishment, some 14,000 people a day used the Waverley Steps – 40 per cent of station users – and station bosses said they expected that figure to increase with the escalators.
Today, one dismayed passenger, Kirsten Wilson, 39, a librarian at the National Library, said: “They have been in for a couple of weeks now and there has only been one or two days that I know of when they have all been working.
“When you think of all the money they have spent and all the time it has taken, they are just not reliable.”
Another rail user, James Black, 46, a research technician at Edinburgh University, said: “It’s a bit soon after they have opened for them to be breaking down. You expect them to be working.
“It’s a bit disappointing so soon after all the hassle of having to go through the shopping centre.
“They have had plenty time to seal the roof and the weather should not be a problem.”
Jodie McIntosh, 18, a veterinary nursing student, said: “For people who can’t manage the stairs, it’s a bit of a shame the escalators are not working. It’s a bit worrying when they are so new.”
Passenger Mandy Gray, 46, added: “I’m fairly young, fit and able to lift my luggage, but there are plenty of people who can’t and it’s a real shame for them. It’s brand new so it should be working like brand new.”
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Comments
There are 35 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Geep
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 02:06 PM“They are not damaged. They have been switched off as a safety precaution. Part of the roof has not yet been sealed and there is water coming down." (Network Rail) So obviously Network Rail didn't expect it to rain. Seems just a tad optimistic, given the season of the year. On the other hand, obviously not specified to work in the wet. This country invented railways, but things have moved on. Why can't the designers look at what happens abroad?
OddJob
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:11 PMIs there anything the Evening News can't turn into an "its a disgrace, I tells ya!!" story? I don't know why people bother to get up in the mornings if a non-functioning escalator sends them into a depressive tailspin because of how awful Edinburgh is these days. Look for the bad and all you'll find is bad.
trainspotter
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:02 PM#25 My thoughts entirely. They are open to the elements at the top. Didn't the ''Engineers'' at some point consider that they might get wet? Whether the roof is leaking or not, when the rain hits Princes street it flows down the Waverley steps, and now down the Waverley escalators Doh
Dannyboy
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 03:59 AMWhy is it that every one of these vox-pop numpties is blaming the escalator, bemoaning that its broken. It was the r-o-o-f, the ROOF! Some useless builder didn't do a good enough job with the silicone sealant. The headline should read "Useless Builder found in Edinburgh", though I doubt that would get the moaning gits here exited. Good grief.
wl
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:02 PMThere was nothing wrong with the "old" Waverley Steps, so why this change? Seems like in Edinburgh they can not do a single thing right.
Lidl Shopper
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 06:54 PMComment removed by moderator
Lachie Mhor
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 06:25 PMEdinburgh seems to be an interesting place to live in [or not].
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:50 PMThey should have installed ramps
Hazelkaye
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:45 PM"O TIS" but a drap o' rain that leaves oor legs tae take the strain!
Aristotle
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:39 PMEdinburgh - 'most embarrassing capital city' - is there anything this once proud city can do nowadays that does not fall apart, breakdown or just open the city to riducule. Trams, Parliament building, escalator, smoke detectors, rodents terrorising police headquaters, one football team holding up SPL whilst other just about gone to the wall. Try to avoid telling people I meet abroad where I live in Scotland as unable to cope with pitying looks and knowing nudges and trying to explain where it has all gone so terribly wrong.
Thomas the Tank
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:23 PM#21 - or, indeed, New York - the Litigation Capital of the Universe. Many Subway escalators there come up to street level, open at the top, and they get huge snowfalls as well as rain. Scotland used to be Engineers to the world - just look at us now!
claymore's edge
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 05:17 PMLets sing the song we all know now!------------------------------ "Edinburgh : Dysfunctional and unproductive"!!!!!!! At least it will give all the middle aged peados over in the Cafe Royal across the road something to smirk about.--------------------------------I' m off to listen to Ivor Cutler's "Traffic Jam" now!!
Scottish Dross Destroyer
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:15 PMThe Scotsman website is PANTS. Get it fixed!
Luvmacity
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:09 PMUsed them last Sunday. Far too slow. Quicker walking.
Mario Antoinette
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 02:56 PM16 actually they dont. If the people responsible here had any experience at all they could have looked at escalators on the brussels metro or the frankfurt u-bahn, and probably even london. At the top of the flight they are open to the skies. It rains in these places. This beggars belief. Either we got cheap knock off escalators that cant handle little more than condensation or they simply dont know what they are doing.
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