Blueprint created to help station cope with big passenger increase
● Edinburgh hub expected to handle 40 million people in six years’ time
A new masterplan is to be devised to ensure Scotland’s second busiest station can cope with an expected massive passenger increase.
The move follows calls for significant improvements to Waverley Station in Edinburgh by business leaders and transport campaigners, as revealed by Scotland on Sunday six months ago.
The rail hub – second only to Glasgow Central north of the Border – is forecast to handle 40 million passengers by 2024, a 66 per cent increase.
Owner and manager Network Rail will lead a group with the city council to investigate what impact this will have on the station and surrounding streets.
It will draw up short, medium and long-term plans with fellow group members Transport Scotland, Visitscotland, Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and neighbouring building owners.
Major upgrades to the station’s shops and catering facilities were urged last September by groups including the chamber of commerce.
A spokeswoman for chief executive Liz Mcareavey said: “Waverley is the first point of entry to the capital by rail – can we honestly say we are leading the charge in terms of customer experience?”
Paul Tetlaw, policy forum convener at sustainable transport group Transform Scotland, said: “We have long campaigned for a partnership
0 Waverley is forecast to see a 66 per cent increase in its 24 million annual passenger total thanks to more frequent and longer trains approach to the development of Waverley. It isn’t just Network Rail’s station, it is the gateway to Scotland and to Scotland’s capital city.
“It deserves a similar vision and similar facilities to those now present at other major stations such as King’s Cross and St Pancras in London.”
The new masterplan is separate to making more space for trains – extensions to three platforms are under way.
Alex Hynes, managing director of the Scotrail Alliance with Network Rail Scotland, said: “Waverley has seen its footfall more than double from ten million to over 24 million within the last ten years and estimates suggest it will almost double again, to 40 million, by 2024.
“Such a steep increase is a positive indicator of the railway’s economic influence on the city and a clear sign further investment will be required.
“We are creating additional rail provision within Waverley. However, more trains mean more people and that inevitably adds to the pressure on station infrastructure and the surrounding streets.”
City council transport convener Lesley Macinnes said: “With population and visitor numbers forecast to grow, we need to ensure we manage these, both in the station and in the city centre as a whole to deliver the best possible experience for all.”