Call for action over stinking train depot
Neighbours of an Edinburgh train depot say the noise and air pollution coming from the dep ot has left them unable to sleep and left their homes stinking of diesel.
Residents who live in Shand o n , w h i c h b o r d e r s t h e National R ail dep ot at Slate f o r d , s a y t h e y h a v e b e e n ‘fobbed off ’ by the train operator, and that the response from Edinburgh Cit y Council has been ‘shockingly poor’.
Vi d e o s a n d p h o t o s t a k e n by residents show plumes of exhaust fumes rising from the depot, and audio recordings taken with the videos demonstrate the level of noise caused by train engines being left to idle day and night.
K i r s t y S t e wa r t , wh o l i ve s with her husband and eighteen-month-old son in a property bordering the depot, said: “The problem is pretty much intolerable.
“It’s at the p oint where it’s seriously impacting the level of amenit y we have in our home, the level of pollution is scary.
“Our house smells of diesel, and that’s with our windows shut.
“We’ve had people from the council in and they said they could smell it as soon as they turned onto Shaftesbury Park.
“We’ve complained directly to National R ail who have fobbed us off saying the matter is now closed.”
Fountainbridge and Lo ckhart councillor Gavin Corbett, Green Party, said: “I'm angry at how dismissive National Rail h a s b e e n b o t h to r e s i d e n t s ' concerns and when I and fellow co un cillors have asked them to account for their activity.
"Diesel is a dirty and outdated fuel which is why, internationally, there has been such fo cus on phasing out diesel vehicles."
National R ail has said the
engines are kept running to power onboard systems during mandatory safety checks.
A spokesperson said: “Slateford yard i s a ke y b as e f o r our fleet of autumn treatment trains. These trains op erate
a r o u n d - t h e - c l o c k a n d a r e vital to helping keep the railway safe during autumn as leaf debris can cause train wheels to lose their grip and slip on the track.
“We understand the shor t
term disruption this activit y can cause to some of our lineside neighbours and do try to minimise disruption as much as possible.”