Edinburgh Waverley

The Station
Station Renewal Programme
Waverley Steps Redevelopment
Waverley infrastructure works
Links

The station

Waverley Station is of critical importance to Scotland’s historic, environmental and commercial well-being, as well as being key to delivering capacity for new rail lines such as the reopening of the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link.

The station was first opened in 1846 and was rebuilt between 1892-1902. It lies between the old town and modern Edinburgh, adjacent to Princes Street, Edinburgh Castle and the Princes Street Gardens. In terms of area, Edinburgh Waverley is Britain’s largest train station outside London, with approximately 23.5 million users per year and climbing. Over the past 15 years, the number of trains has increased by 50% to over 600 per day.

Station Renewal Programme

Over the next four years, Edinburgh Waverley will be transformed by a £130 million investment in the station and its facilities, creating an environment that meets the needs of passengers in the 21st century while preserving Waverley’s rich heritage.

The renewal programme includes:

Replacement of the 34,000m² station roof with clear, strengthened glass to shed new light on the station concourse and platforms;
New Market Street entrance, increasing accessibility to the station for users;
Refurbishment of station concourse and main building exterior, improving facilities for passengers;
Improvements to platforms 8 and 9, including new canopies and station furniture.

As well as these improvements, the station’s original ironwork features will be repaired and repainted while non-essential station furniture, buildings and redundant high-level walkways will be removed permanently.

Waverley Steps Redevelopment

Included in the overall package of improvements at Waverley station are proposals for the redevelopment of Waverley Steps, which Network Rail will deliver on behalf of Transport Scotland.

On 11 February 2009, Network Rail made an application for permission to rebuild the Waverley Steps under the Transport and Works (Scotland) Act 2007 (a ‘TAWS Order’). The proposed redevelopment features:

a modern, landmark entrance from Princes Street;
two sets of covered escalators, maintaining access to Princes Mall shopping centre;
two 16-person glass lifts giving access to platforms via a mezzanine bridge; and
a glass and steel canopy over the newly refurbished Waverley Steps

For more information about these proposals, images of the finished steps and copies of our TAWS Order application documents, please click here.

Waverley Infrastructure Works

Infrastructure works to transform Edinburgh Waverley were completed on time and on budget by Network Rail in February 2008. Fully funded by Transport Scotland, the £150 million programme has delivered what passengers need most – improved station access and capacity for more trains. This will make business and recreational journeys easier by lessening congestion, increasing the number of services and ultimately smoothing the journey for everyone.

This has been achieved by delivering the following:

Two new, longer platforms and the reintroduction of platform 5
Extensive track remodelling and new signalling, which will allow four more trains to come through the station per hour each way
Extra platform capacity for longer commuter services
A new bay platform at Haymarket station for additional services.

Links

First Scotrail
National Express East Coast
Virgin Trains
Transport Scotland
Passenger Focus
Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link