PASSENGERS REMINDED OF DECEMBER SERVICE AND PLATFORM CHANGES AT WAVERLEY AND HAYMARKET

Monday 13 Nov 2006

PASSENGERS REMINDED OF DECEMBER SERVICE AND PLATFORM CHANGES AT WAVERLEY AND HAYMARKET

Region & Route:: Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

As the £150 million improvements to Waverley station enter the next phase of construction, passengers are reminded that from 11 December and 27 December some train services will be affected. The massive enhancement project includes creating four new platforms at the station, extensive track remodelling, new signals and user-friendly entrances. Once the work is complete, passengers will benefit from more train services, improved punctuality and better access. To allow the work to be completed, several platforms at Waverley station will be closed at various times, along with part of the lines running between Waverley and Haymarket stations. As a result, some services will depart from and terminate at Haymarket instead of Waverley, some services will depart from and terminate at Waverley rather than Haymarket and a small number of services will be replaced by a shuttle bus. Platforms at Waverley will also be renumbered from 27 December as four new platforms come into use, along with a new bay platform at Haymarket. Timetables, platform maps and Haymarket connection guides are available online and at staffed stations; posters detailing service changes are on display at all stations along affected routes and extra staff will be on hand to help travellers. Affected routes include Fife Circle; Carnoustie; North Berwick; Newcraighall-Bathgate-Dunblane and West Calder. David Simpson, Route Director at Network Rail, which is managing and delivering the project, said: "The redevelopment of Waverley station means that a few minutes will be added to some passengers' journeys while we carry out major infrastructure improvements. A great deal of planning has been put into this; we have worked very hard with our industry partners to ensure that inconvenience is kept to an absolute minimum." Mary Dickson, Managing Director of First ScotRail, said: “As always, our focus is on our customers. Robust arrangements are in place to keep passengers fully informed, and to ensure that any inconvenience is kept to a minimum during works which will ultimately make journeys easier by lessening congestion and increasing the number of services.” Robert Samson, Passenger Focus, Passenger Link Manager said: “It is essential that during the redevelopment work passengers are kept informed about the disruption to services and timetable changes affecting their journey. We are pleased to note that the rail industry in Scotland is working together to co-ordinate the timetable changes and ensure that passengers have access to the information in plenty of time to inform their journey decisions.”

Notes to editors

TIMETABLE CHANGES A limited number of Fife Circle, one Stirling and one Carnoustie service will terminate at Haymarket rather than continuing through to Waverley. Customers on these trains will disembark at Haymarket, change platform and board the next train bound for Waverley. Passengers will be able to transfer to a Waverley service within a few minutes, and the final journey time from Haymarket to Waverley remains approximately three minutes. There are additional timetable changes affecting some North Berwick, Newcraighall-Bathgate-Dunblane and West Calder services; some of these changes come into effect on 11 December with the majority starting on 27 December. Passengers are advised to check journey times before travelling and to allow extra time. Please see the Haymarket Connection Guide at www.networkrail.co.uk/edinburgh or First ScotRail timetables at www.firstscotrail.com for specific information. There will be four stages of works during 2007, each with different platform closures at Waverley and slight changes to the timetable. Platforms 15, 16, 17 and 18 close from 27 December 2006 to the end of March 2007, 18, 19 and 20 close from the beginning of April to mid-May, platforms 12, 13 and14 close from mid-May to the end of July, and the final stage where platforms 8, 9, 10 and 11 close runs from August to November 2007. Platform numbers refer to new numbering that comes into effect at the end of December 2006. Please see map of old and new platform numbering online at www.networkrail.co.uk/edinburgh EDINBURGH WAVERLEY STATION FACTS • Edinburgh Waverley is Britain's largest train station area-wise outside London, with passenger numbers currently at 23 million per year and climbing • The station is currently operating at its capacity limit; the number of trains using Waverley station has increased by 50% over the past 15 years to 576 per day • Waverley is of critical importance to Edinburgh’s future economic and commercial development as it will drive the city’s tourism and visitor numbers • Transport Scotland is funding the current £150million programme to upgrade Waverley station; the work is being delivered by Network Rail FURTHER INFORMATION Further details on alterations to train services can be obtained by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50. The Haymarket Connection Guide is available on the Network Rail website, www.networkrail.co.uk/edinburgh and on the First ScotRail website at www.firstscotrail.com First ScotRail timetables for December 2006 until May 2007 are available at staffed stations, as are maps of the new platform layout at Waverley For further information on the Waverley redevelopment project email waverleyinfrastructureworks@networkrail.co.uk or access the Edinburgh Waverley website at www.networkrail.co.uk/edinburgh Frist ScotRail media enquiries: Iain Wilson 0141 335 4565, out of hours 07738 141198

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