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Thursday 31 Aug 2017

Passenger reminder: Edinburgh Waverley Platform 11 escalators set to close

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Passengers who use Edinburgh Waverley station are being reminded that the escalators on Platform 11 will be out of use from the evening of Saturday, September 2, until early 2018.

The escalators are closing to allow engineers to carry out vital works to extend platform 12 as Waverley prepares for the arrival of Virgin East Coast’s new Azuma trains and ScotRail’s new class-385s.

Closing the escalators is the safest way to deliver the works as the need to erect hoardings around the platform extension site will reduce circulation space at the foot of the structure creating the potential for overcrowding.

Additional station staff will be on-hand when the escalators close to help passengers.

Engineers are currently working in Scotland’s second-busiest station to extend platforms 5 and 6, to the east of the station, and 12, to the west.

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).

The infrastructure works, and new rolling stock, will help to transform travel on both routes increasing passenger capacity and reducing journey times – by around 10 minutes between Edinburgh and Glasgow and by around 20 minutes between the two capitals.

Rodger Querns, Network Rail programme director, said: “Extending Edinburgh Waverley’s platforms is vital to the long-term future of the station and paves the way for the introduction of two new state-of-the-art train fleets.

“Completing such a significant piece of engineering work in one of the country’s busiest stations is a significant challenge and one which will mean some short-term disruption to the platform 11 escalator.

“However, we are committed to carrying out these enhancements as quickly as possible and with the minimum of inconvenience for passengers.”