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Thursday 3 Sep 2015

Edinburgh Waverley set to reinstate cycle access for passengers

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

The ScotRail Alliance today announced that, following the completion of a safety assessment, cycling access is being reinstated at Edinburgh Waverley station.

A new cycle lane – and associated infrastructure including gated barriers at the foot of the ramp, road markings and new signage – will be created on the north ramp during September.

The station, which is the second busiest on the Scottish network with over 25m passengers a year, will also be taking steps to limit delivery vehicle access to the north ramp during peak day-time periods.

The new cycle arrangements are intended to come into operation by early October.

Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, said: “Since ScotRail and Network Rail came together earlier this year in our new ScotRail Alliance, we have made it clear that the decisions we take in the future will always be about delivering the absolute best service to our customers.

“We have heard loud and clear that the people who use Waverley wanted us to find a way to reintroduce cycling access to the station. We have listened and we have taken action.

“The arrangements we are putting in place at Waverley to bring back cycling deliver a pragmatic solution which balances our need to provide safe access while also responding to what customers want.

“Our customers will always be at the heart of what we do. We are transforming our railway here in Scotland and this announcement today is a clear demonstration that we are changing the way we do things.”

Derek Mackay, Minister for Transport and Islands, added: “This Government has a clear focus on integrating and improving transport connections to help make public transport as convenient and accessible as possible.

“Cycling facilities at stations play a crucial role within this commitment by allowing more people the opportunity to start and complete their rail journeys by bike.

“I am therefore delighted that the ScotRail Alliance has responded to the passenger concerns most recently raised by the Scottish Parliament’s infrastructure committee and reinstated cycling access at Edinburgh Waverley station.”

The Scottish Parliament’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee asked the ScotRail Alliance to reassess cycle access at Waverley last month as part of the committee’s examination of access arrangements at Scotland’s major urban railway stations.

Convener of the Committee, Jim Eadie MSP, said: “As a Committee we welcome the commitment by ScotRail to improve cycle access at Waverley following our work into this issue. It is a positive step forward that ScotRail has listened to and acted on the concerns raised with them and the Committee.

“We look forward to ScotRail working with cycling organisations to implement these changes and to bring about the much needed improvements for cyclists. The Committee will be questioning the ScotRail Alliance again in December in order to discuss improvements to public access at stations across Scotland and we look forward to hearing how these arrangements at Waverley are working in practice.”

Notes to editors:

The new cycle lane is part of a comprehensive review of access at the station, which has already benefitted from significant enhancements to its facilities in recent years.

Since 2009, over £50million has been invested in improving access to Waverley and refurbishing the station’s passenger facilities.

Step-free and lift access has been created off the Waverley Steps, Calton Road and Market Street entrances and redundant structures have also been removed from the concourse. Cycling storage has been increased – there are now over 200 cycle parking spaces at the station.

Cycle access on the north ramp was restricted in summer 2014 following the removal of all public vehicles, including taxis, from Waverley.