Edinburgh Waverley station to get 2 new platforms

TWO new platforms will replace the former taxi rank at Waverley station in Edinburgh to help cater for an expected doubling of passengers over the next ten years, Network Rail announced today.
Edinburgh Waverley station is to have two additional platforms installed. Picture: TSPLEdinburgh Waverley station is to have two additional platforms installed. Picture: TSPL
Edinburgh Waverley station is to have two additional platforms installed. Picture: TSPL

Three other platforms will be extended to accommodate longer trains as part of the latest £25m upgrade of Scotland’s second busiest station, which handles around 20 million passengers a year. It currently has 18 platforms.

Two new “long length” platforms will be created south of the main building, which was used by taxis until June.

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Platforms five and six, at the east end of the former taxi rank, will be brought back into use and extended, while platform 12, on the west side of the station, will also be lengthened.

Tracks will be streamlined to ease train movements, and signalling improved.

The extra space is needed for longer trains on the main line to Glasgow when it is electrified in 2016, and new trains on the east coast main line to London two years later.

Preliminary work will start in October, with platform construction starting in February and finishing in March 2016.

Funding is provided by the Scottish and UK Governments.

It follows a £100m upgrade of the station over the last decade, including a new roof, floor and entrances, such as lifts and covered escalators installed at the Waverley Steps link to Princes Street.

Network Rail route managing director for Scotland David Dickson said: “It is important we continue to invest in the station in a way that both enables growth in the future but also supports short-term performance improvement on the network today.

“As well as further improving the passenger facilities within the station, this latest investment allows us to introduce much needed additional capacity and flexibility into the east of Scotland rail network.”