Possible plans for Edinburgh Waverley station?

[TheEscapist_]

Once the new platforms 5 & 6 are built, where else could (can!) they put it?:?

Nowhere really! They should build a proper one outside on market street it's a horrible mess out there this now. The taxi rank has been moved so it's no outside the dungeon end of market street. There's just no organisation to it an people are left in the elements. Could do with a cover of some sort and a wider pavement. Also maybe a fence on the road side to stop people board taxis when not at the front of the queue, that annoys me the most really.



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[najaB]

A local MSP has launched a petition for the ScotRail Alliance to put a taxi rank back inside the station

Not going to happen. There's no room for it and it doesn't fit the security environment. Is there any other station where taxis drive onto the concourse?

 

[Blindtraveler]

Embarrased to say I know the woman who lobbied and pestered til someone would listen for this and whilst Im sure hes a good MSP its a bit of a horse and stable door situation. The woman in question is a fat lazy self centred cow and whilst I admit Market street is a mess the obtaining of a taxi still isnt dificult, the main issue by far being Edinburghs shortage of them.

Would there be any scope for one of the ramps to be convirted into a double travelater to allow assent/descent to/from Waverley Bridge?

 

[Starmill]

Not going to happen. There's no room for it and it doesn't fit the security environment. Is there any other station where taxis drive onto the concourse?

Less now, I think, than in the past and also screened off from the main area where passengers circulate, but Liverpool Lime Street.

 

[asylumxl]

Embarrased to say I know the woman who lobbied and pestered til someone would listen for this and whilst Im sure hes a good MSP its a bit of a horse and stable door situation. The woman in question is a fat lazy self centred cow and whilst I admit Market street is a mess the obtaining of a taxi still isnt dificult, the main issue by far being Edinburghs shortage of them.

Would there be any scope for one of the ramps to be convirted into a double travelater to allow assent/descent to/from Waverley Bridge?

In all honesty, the taxis in Edinburgh are ridiculously expensive anyway. I've also known them to take tourists in ridiculous routes.

And they wonder why they've lost airport business to the tram...

 

[Blindtraveler]

Or why the opperater at the Airport with the largest presence is Private Hire?

Couldnt agree more with you on price, I would even venture as far as to say Londons cheeper.

 

[asylumxl]

Or why the opperater at the Airport with the largest presence is Private Hire?

Couldnt agree more with you on price, I would even venture as far as to say Londons cheeper.

They are the same or perhaps more. I once wanted to visit a relative in the Western General and after alighting my train went to get a taxi on Waverely Bridge. They quoted some ridiculous price (something like £16-18). So, even with a suitcase, I opted to get the bus!

 

[Blindtraveler]

Problem with Edinburgh cabbys is the see a tourist and then think of floating fkashing pound signs. I live 10 minutes further from WGH and woant pay a penny above 12 quid, even that shocking for the price compared to somewhere like Blackpool which also exists on visitors

 

[asylumxl]

Problem with Edinburgh cabbys is the see a tourist and then think of floating fkashing pound signs. I live 10 minutes further from WGH and woant pay a penny above 12 quid, even that shocking for the price compared to somewhere like Blackpool which also exists on visitors

I know people in Silverknowes (which is just over an extra mile and a bit) and the fares even worse!

 

[matchmaker]

Not going to happen. There's no room for it and it doesn't fit the security environment. Is there any other station where taxis drive onto the concourse?

Glasgow Central used to have this.

 

[Waverley21]

A major problem with the taxi rank in Market Street is that the taxis just take over the entire road thinking it's a giant taxi play park. They queue outside the defined rank, they queue on the opposite side of the road, and then there's lots of dangerous u-turns taking place, they double rank when a poor private vehicle gets in their way, and they extend the rank along and beyond the double yellow lines at the Jeffrey Street junction blocking the sightlines the double yellows are there to protect. All this ends up causing obstruction to through traffic.

One could be forgiven for thinking all this is designed to cause as much mayhem as possible, with a view to the rank being restored inside the station. The current temporary location further west in Market Street is an improvement, if only it were better managed by parking attendants. Although it's temporary, perhaps it should be retained permanently.

 

[edwin_m]

Plenty of major stations used to have taxi ranks inside, sometimes sharing the accesses with parcels vans. I don't recall if there are any left but if so probably very few, and I think the security situation makes it unlikely any new ones will be allowed.

At least now they aren't belching out PM10s under what at Waverley is a fairly low roof. And if they aren't obeying the rules on the rank, the council needs to suspend a few licenses.

 

[asylumxl]

Plenty of major stations used to have taxi ranks inside, sometimes sharing the accesses with parcels vans. I don't recall if there are any left but if so probably very few, and I think the security situation makes it unlikely any new ones will be allowed.

At least now they aren't belching out PM10s under what at Waverley is a fairly low roof. And if they aren't obeying the rules on the rank, the council needs to suspend a few licenses.

Darlington used too I believe?

 

[HowardGWR]

Plenty of major stations used to have taxi ranks inside, sometimes sharing the accesses with parcels vans. I don't recall if there are any left but if so probably very few, and I think the security situation makes it unlikely any new ones will be allowed.

At least now they aren't belching out PM10s under what at Waverley is a fairly low roof. And if they aren't obeying the rules on the rank, the council needs to suspend a few licenses.

Indeed (last para). It seems to me that local councils regard taxis as being outside the 'integrated transport' solutions they would like to see and in fact treat these functions legally rather as one would night clubs and massage parlours, on the fringe. It's not just Edinburgh (I liked my 'fringe' pun) where this is the case.

 

[AndrewE]

A couple of folks I know went in there for a couple of drinks and said it was fine, nothing out of the ordinary.

I had a second breakfast there before catching my train last week and was quite impressed with the interior. Nice to have departure boards displayed too. The roof-light made for a very attractive walk in (on a sunny day!) and the service time for the breakfast wrap was fine. I recognise that Wspoons have to vary their prices with the cost of the site, so paying more on a station (& especially at Waverley) than in some semi-rural backwater isn't so surprising. By the same token, food costs more than the average on and near the Blackpool sea-front. Shall probably build it in to future travel plans.
A

 

[najaB]

Glasgow Central used to have this.

Darlington used too I believe?

Many stations used to, the question is how many (other than Liverpool mentioned above) still do?

 

[kkong]

Less now, I think, than in the past and also screened off from the main area where passengers circulate, but Liverpool Lime Street.

There's a similar situation at Aberdeen.

The taxi rank is inside the station, but there is a floor-to-ceiling glass screen between the taxi rank and the main passenger concourse.

 

[ainsworth74]

Darlington used too I believe?

I don't think so. The rank is already under the train shed and couldn't get closer to the platforms due to the station building!

 

[marks87]

Not a taxi rank, but Perth has a car park that's separated from platform 7 by some simple metal railings.

You can even take Streetview right up to the ticket barriers.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.3...tlBQo0YUs3hQSM9Pv3SQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

A record for the closest a Streetview car has got to actually driving on a platform?

And of course, somewhat more tangentially, the opening scene of Prisoner and Escort (the Porridge pilot) sees Norman Stanley Fletcher and Messrs MacKay and Barraclough in a prison van being driven straight onto the platform at St Pancras.

 

[me123]

A local MSP has launched a petition for the ScotRail Alliance to put a taxi rank back inside the station:

https://www.change.org/p/scotrail-a...edium=copylink&recuruit_context=copylink_long

Once the new platforms 5 & 6 are built, where else could (can!) they put it?:?

No, you don't need the taxi rank to be in the station. It's a perfectly accessible station, albeit over a large area, but there is no need to have taxis go into the station. The large area actually means that the taxi rank in the original position would probably actually be worse for quite a significant number of passengers! Given the choice of a taxi rank and more capacity for trains, I think I know what I'd pick!

As has been pointed out, very few stations have a taxi rank within.

 

[asylumxl]

On a different note, does anyone know if there's plans to improve accessibility for disabled people between Waverley Mall and the station?

A few weeks ago I was asked by a young lady in an electric wheelchair how to get to the station from the bottom floor of the mall. Obviously your average person would be able to head out to the Waverely Steps and go down a level, but the only way I could see for this lady to do so would be to take the lift to the top of Waverley Mall, use the Princes Street exit, go up the ramp and then back down in the lift for the station.

That seems quite a detour. If I was wrong then I'd welcome the information for future reference.

 

[Blindtraveler]

The route you describe is indeed the only one suitable for wheelchairs sadly. I had hoped that the rebuilt Waverley steps would include some kind of solution to this but its wasnt to be at the time and I doubt it could now be done without interfearing with one of the occupants of the food court

 

[asylumxl]

The route you describe is indeed the only one suitable for wheelchairs sadly. I had hoped that the rebuilt Waverley steps would include some kind of solution to this but its wasnt to be at the time and I doubt it could now be done without interfearing with one of the occupants of the food court

Well, it's good to know I gave her the right directions at least.

What is below the food court in Waverley Mall? Ideally there would be a way down to the ground level in Waverley.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Or why the opperater at the Airport with the largest presence is Private Hire?

Couldnt agree more with you on price, I would even venture as far as to say Londons cheeper.

It's not necessary to use taxis in Edinburgh at all, anyway, unless you have a disability that would make bus use awkward. The bus and tram network is excellent, with superb coverage in terms of routes and running times.

As for the Airport, I can't imagine why anyone would want to sit in traffic in a taxi when the tram is quicker and cheaper and has a very predictable journey time.

 

[Carntyne]

This rears its head every couple of months. I gather Waverley was the last UK major station with cars allowed access to the concourse, but it was taken away after an accident at the station.

Sure ScotRail are looking at alternatives at the moment and the MSPs have been told this, but anything to get their name in the papers.

 

[Blindtraveler]

IMO the major issue here is the transfer between bus and rail, esp with luggage. The escalaters arnt really up to it and are unreliable and the 2 lifts are quite slow and are defo style over substance. Not everyone is up for doing the ramps and I would say theres a case for a further lift to street level at the Princes street end, just no space for one!
Disabled I might be but the taxi situatio doesnt bother me. Should I use one Im happy to walk and if possible I use the bus.

 

[jopsuk]

Well, it's good to know I gave her the right directions at least.

What is below the food court in Waverely Mall? Ideally there would be a way down to the ground level in Waverely.

"ground level" below the shopping mall would leave you on platforms 1/20 isolated from the rest of the station

 

[Blindtraveler]

When both the new P1/20 were being built and the steps refurbished a footbridge led from the maul onto the concourse via steps. This IMO should have been kept and a lift installed also

 

[asylumxl]

"ground level" below the shopping mall would leave you on platforms 1/20 isolated from the rest of the station

Thank you for the info.

When both the new P1/20 were being built and the steps refurbished a footbridge led from the maul onto the concourse via steps. This IMO should have been kept and a lift installed also

This would have been ideal. While it doesn't bother me much, I do think it's rather ridiculous that anyone with such difficulties has to take such a convoluted route to go between the mall and the station.

 

[Mordac]

IMO the major issue here is the transfer between bus and rail, esp with luggage. The escalaters arnt really up to it and are unreliable and the 2 lifts are quite slow and are defo style over substance. Not everyone is up for doing the ramps and I would say theres a case for a further lift to street level at the Princes street end, just no space for one!
Disabled I might be but the taxi situatio doesnt bother me. Should I use one Im happy to walk and if possible I use the bus.

It's even worse if you're heading to the Southside, as you either have to walk half of Prices Street away from where you're going, or climb up Fleshmarket Close/Cockburn street, which isn't a walk in the park even for the able bodied! A lift into North Bridge would do wonders!