Two new, extended platforms open at Edinburgh Waverley

Edinburgh Waverley’s newly-extended platforms 5 and 6 (on the east side of the station) have entered service following an extension.

The platforms are now 275m in length, meaning they can accommodate the new 10-car trains due to be introduced on the main line between Edinburgh and London later in 2019.

During the project, around 16,000 tonnes of material was removed to create the platforms, with 7,000 tonnes of ballast and new track laid as well as new signalling and overhead powerlines installed.  

The infrastructure – and the new rolling stock it will enable – will help transform travel on the East Coast Main Line and has been funded by the Department for Transport’s Intercity Express Programme (IEP) and the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh-Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP).

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, said: “The completion of this important work at Waverley station will enable further platform capacity for Edinburgh to Glasgow services and deliver faster, longer, greener trains between Edinburgh and London.

“This is a prime example of Scottish Government investment helping to improve our rail network and shows the benefits that can be realised through cross-border working with partners in the UK rail industry.”

UK Rail Minister, Andrew Jones, said: “These works alongside the Intercity Express Programme with its state-of-the-art high-speed intercity trains will start to transform journeys for passengers, bringing more space, comfort and reliability up and down the country.

“Having worked closely with Transport Scotland to deliver this upgrade, the longer platforms will deliver the benefits for the new Azuma trains – due on the East Coast later this year.”

Kevin McClelland, Route Delivery Director for Infrastructure Projects, IP Scotland West & Central at Network Rail, said: “Successfully delivering this work has been a logistical challenge for our engineers and contractors who have constructed the new infrastructure in Scotland’s second-busiest station with a minimum of disruption to the tens of thousands of customers who use Waverley every day.

“The new platforms, and the modern trains they have been designed to accommodate, will greatly improve the service we can offer to passengers travelling on this key route between the two capitals.”