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Wednesday 4 Jun 2025

Inspiring railway heritage projects showcased at Edinburgh Waverley

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Edinburgh Waverley is hosting a new exhibition this month celebrating projects which have transformed Britain’s historic railway sites. 

The display highlights 40 restoration successes across the country and tells the story of how preserving railway heritage breathes new life into our stations and structures, allowing them to continue serving communities for many more decades to come.  

The exhibition has been organised by the Railway Heritage Trust to mark its 40th anniversary, coinciding with the nationwide celebration of 200 years of the railway. Since 1985, the Trust has awarded more than 2,000 grants totalling £70m to support the conservation of listed railway structures and those located in conservation areas. 

Edinburgh Waverley is a prominent example of Scotland’s rich railway heritage, serving as a gateway to the capital since 1846. With a grand iron and glass roof, elegant Victorian engineering, and historic stonework, the station offers the perfect backdrop for the exhibition.  

Chris King, Edinburgh Waverley station manager, said: “Edinburgh Waverley is of course one of the busiest stations in the country, but if you take a moment to pause and look around, you’ll notice the many historic features that are carefully preserved and maintained.  

“That’s why we’re proud to host this exhibition. I’d encourage passengers to stop by and discover the inspiring work that has taken place right across the country to protect our railway’s remarkable history.” 

Tim Hedley-Jones, director of the Railway Heritage Trust, said: “We are very proud of the long history of support which the Trust has made to railway heritage in Britain. We are pleased to be able to showcase 40 of the best projects we have supported that show how looking after our heritage can transform the lives of people, communities and the places where they live. 

“Providing the grant is the easy part – putting together the plans, managing the work and ensuring railway heritage has a sustainable future is the hard part and we thank all those who have delivered these projects.” 

The exhibition is free, open to everyone, and can be found next to the Calton Road exit within Edinburgh Waverley station between Monday 2 June and Friday 13 June.