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Wednesday 13 Dec 2017

New platform arrives for Edinburgh Waverley passengers

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Edinburgh Waverley’s newly-extended platform 12 entered service last Sunday (December 10).

The longer platform is a key part of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) which completed the electrification of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow, via Falkirk High, line in September.

Located to the western side of the station, the 204-metre-long platform will accommodate the new eight-car class-385 electric trains being introduced by ScotRail next year.

During the project, engineers demolished redundant station buildings on platforms 11 and 12 before extending platform 12 by 75m.

Around 3,500 tons of material was removed during the work, with 200m of track laid as well as new signalling and overhead powerline infrastructure installed.   

Rodger Querns, Network Rail programme director, said: “Together with the electrification of the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line, the commissioning of the new platform 12 is another step forward in our journey to transform capacity at Waverley and build the best railway Scotland’s ever had.

“The electrification of our railway will allow us to run faster, longer, greener trains and cut journey times while increasing the number of seats available for passengers.”

The completion of platform 12 is the first in a series of enhancements being delivered at the station.

Over the festive season a new track-layout will be installed between platforms 10 and 11 to increase flexibility at the station and allow more trains to use the platforms.

Platforms 5 and 6, to the east of the station, are also being extended to 275m to accommodate the new 10-car trains due to be introduced on the main line between Edinburgh and London.

The infrastructure works, and the new rolling stock they will enable, will help to transform travel on both the East Coast main line and on the main line between Scotland’s two biggest cities.

The project will increase on-train passenger capacity and reduce journey times – by around 10 minutes between Edinburgh and Glasgow and by around 20 minutes between the two capitals.

The enhancements are being delivered as part of the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) and the Department for Transport-funded Intercity Express Programme (IEP).