Waverley Steps escalator breaks down after a day
The new escalator opened yesterday
It was a key facet of the multi-million pound overhaul of Waverley Station – that came off the track after just one day.
One of the six sparkling new escalators at Waverley Steps, part of a £7 million revamp project, broke down within 24 hours of the grand unveiling.
Operator Network Rail blamed a faulty part and said the electronic staircase would be back in use this morning.
Train passenger Pat Ash, 60, a teacher from Portobello, said: “The escalators have been a long time coming so it’s not good when an escalator is out of action immediately.”
James Grant, 58, an SQA worker from Leith Links, said: “It doesn’t sound as if Network Rail have done their quality assurance.
“I came down them yesterday morning and there were OK, but the escalator seems a bit slow – maybe that’s for safety reasons.”
This morning, the escalator was operating as normal.
Before the escalators were unveiled, commuters heading for their train had to negotiate the notorious 72 steps at the entrance. The steps, which had been in use for 145 years, often created a ‘wind tunnel’ effect in bad weather.
The year-long construction project was completed on time.
But the unveiling came five years after it should have because of delays caused by objections to the scheme.
The rebuilt steps have been narrowed to just over half their width, with three banks of adjacent escalators providing a new option for the 40ft ascent.
The steps have been remodelled into eight shorter flights from the previous five, with a central handrail added. Before the refurbishment some 14,000 people a day took the steps – 40 per cent of station users – a figure which is now expected to increase. In a separate part of the project, to be completed in July, two 16-person lifts will take passengers between the station and mall roof, with a ramp up to Princes Street.
The lifts have been re-sited away from the steps following an objection from the Balmoral Hotel over their impact on views of Edinburgh Castle.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Family mourn death of Glasgow ‘fight’ schoolboy
- Rangers takeover: Duff & Phelps threaten legal action against BBC
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
- Rangers administration: Fans fear Duff & Phelps claims could scare off Green
- Rangers takeover: triple penalty punishment enough, says Johnston
- Alistair Darling leads ‘No to independence’ fight over tea and biscuits
- Scottish independence: SNP flip-flops over Nato
- Scottish Independence: SNP ‘won’t be Yes campaign’s only voice’
- Scottish independence: Alex Salmond’s pledge to sign up 1m voters
- Today’s youth not fit to be employed, says car firm Arnold Clark
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 44 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
Morag
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 07:29 PM“I came down them yesterday morning and there were OK.” I think the EEN should have a look at its quality assurance too.
noodle doodle
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 02:05 PMit's newsworthy in a told-you-so sense as when these escalators were announced we all went "they'll break down within the week with the litter, rain and cold, this isn't bloody barcelona"... and lo and behold we were proven to be correct
Curious Yellow
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:18 PMThe down escalator in the Bus Station has been out of action all week. It's closed, so that the only way down to the buses is to use the elevator. Why can't we just walk down the stationary stairs?
Black Five
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 10:42 AMCan`t do anything right now !
Niebiosa tam sa naprawde nieskrzydlowe ludzie tam
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 09:12 AM#39 . nie , jestes klamca. dupa
rabmccall
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 08:40 AM#34 they were poles
Hector the Lessor
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 07:28 AMDown elevators are handy for old folk with weak knees. Or obese folk with weak knees. Or for keeping your children within hitting distance. Or inebriated guys who are not too sure where they should be going but like to go with the flow. Up elevators are OK as well.
wayneb
Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 04:04 AMI can understand that there are those for whom the escalators will be beneficial, but I always loved the challenge of going up (and down) the steps. What appears in the photo looks more like some cheesy holiday camp airport...especially the floor tiles and roofing. Sorry, but I preferred the rawness of the original.
Jools in Edinburgh
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 11:24 PMGoing by the picture there doesn't seem to be much demand for the down escalator....waste of money.
Charles Linskaill
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 09:58 PMAll a small teething problem, But not to worry, we still have legs to negotiate the stairs, All the case of using them!
Jingsitsme
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 07:50 PMThis says it all about the british workers etc. This should all have been checked and rechecked. As standard for workers - blame somethingsomebody else!! Good Workmanship seems to be in short supply all over. They must have been taking lessons from council repair services!!
GeorgeCostelloCostagliola
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 07:34 PMi cant wait for the pandas driving a tram over the the new forth bridge and geting to the centre where the steel runs out the only thing that works in edinburgh are the fly people geting dole
footdee
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 06:54 PMThis is a portent of the coming breakdown of the union
HighwayChode
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 05:43 PM27 Suggem. There are no such things as old cities and modern cities. Cities have to adapt and change. By your logic we'd all be sitting in thatched cottages because the first architect to suggest slate tiles would have been shot down by some geriatric who said it didn't blend in.
waspy100
Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at 05:37 PMTold my wife they had put an escalator on the Waverly steps and she thought a it a great idea as she hated them when we visited. When I told her the bad news it broke down next day she laughed and asked when will the trams be running???
Page 1 of 3
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.