Possible plans for Edinburgh Waverley station?

[och aye]

According to this press release, the works are now complete at Waverley. Can anyone confirm if the all the work for gates and barriers at platforms 6, 7, 11 & 12 have been completed?

Crossover commissioning marks Waverley works completion

https://www.networkrailmediacentre....commissioning-marks-waverley-works-completion

Network Rail engineers have successfully completed a £25m, two-year-long upgrade at Edinburgh Waverley with the commissioning of a new crossover at the station.

The commissioning of the new track layout between platforms 10 and 11 (which allows trains to move from one line to the other) marks the end of a project to upgrade track and signalling and lengthen platforms at Scotland’s second-busiest station.

Since work began in April 2017, platforms 5 and 6, to the east of the station, and 12, to the west, have been extended as Waverley prepared for LNER’s new Azuma trains and ScotRail’s new class-385s.

Platform 12 was extended to 204m to accommodate eight-car trains for the Edinburgh-Glasgow, via Falkirk High, line and platforms 5 and 6 were extended to 275m for the new 10-car East Coast services.

The work not only enables these longer trains to run, the investment also increases the flexibility of the station and improves the reliability of the infrastructure.

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

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

Kevin McClelland, Network Rail’s route delivery director for infrastructure projects, said: “Edinburgh Waverley is at the heart of the capital and a vital part of our rail network – carrying passengers across the length of Scotland and south to London on the East Coast Main Line.

“The work we have delivered over the last two years will help to make sure the station can continue to play an important role in the economic and social life of the city.”

 

[Macwomble]

Can anyone confirm if the all the work for gates and barriers at platforms 6, 7, 11 & 12 have been completed?

Barriers appearing across 11/12 but 5/6/7 still open access.........caught the "Flying Banana" in P7 earlier this week.

 

[385001]

It looks there is still some work ongoing. Work site is still on the south ramp and bits and pieces still need doing around platform 12.

Gates for 11 and 12 are fully operational. It looks like there is a flexible ‘gate’ for platforms 6 & 7. When I was in it was manually closed and passengers were directed by staff to the automatic gates. A few minutes later it was completely open. Hopefully there are plans to finish this off as it looks daft and incomplete.

 

[nlogax]

I used 12 on Saturday and 5 on Monday. All seems to be working well, though I'm now throughly perplexed by the numbering / layout. Without referring to a station diagram it's all a bit Numberwang.

 

[sng7]

I used 12 on Saturday and 5 on Monday. All seems to be working well, though I'm now throughly perplexed by the numbering / layout. Without referring to a station diagram it's all a bit Numberwang.

The station is numbered clockwise around the central booking hall with the numbering starting from the waverley steps entrance. I found it makes it easier to naviagte once I found that out.

 

[Highlandspring]

Platforms are numbered clockwise from 1 at the extreme northeast corner of the site.

 

[swt_passenger]

The recent changes haven’t actually altered the principles of the existing numbering scheme have they? Post #1084 just now seems to imply something’s changed?

I’ve lost track of the number of times there’s been separate discussion of how it works in this 37 page thread, the first time was back on page 2, post #36...

 

[68000]

Was at Waverley today getting the train to York - I haven't been there in years and what a bewildering station it is for the traveler

 

[takno]

The recent changes haven’t actually altered the principles of the existing numbering scheme have they? Post #1084 just now seems to imply something’s changed?

I’ve lost track of the number of times there’s been separate discussion of how it works in this 37 page thread, the first time was back on page 2, post #36...

The principle hasn't changed, but now the Eastern platforms have crept so far up the concourse the logic of the clockwise numbering has broken down. I think at this point that they might be better off numbering from 1 to 17 with A and B ends on the through platforms. That isn't perfect though - having 3&4 completely hidden at the far end of the station and 8&9 completely obscured by a brick wall is confusing however you number it

 

[reb0118]

Gates for 11 and 12 are fully operational. It looks like there is a flexible ‘gate’ for platforms 6 & 7. When I was in it was manually closed and passengers were directed by staff to the automatic gates. A few minutes later it was completely open. Hopefully there are plans to finish this off as it looks daft and incomplete.

AFAIAA LNER & XC do not want their passengers inconvenienced by barrier checks so require them to be open (at least in part) whenever one of their trains is arriving or departing.

Anecdotally I have heard that LNER are quite happy with the incomplete barrier line.

 

[Siemens Trains]

The principle hasn't changed, but now the Eastern platforms have crept so far up the concourse the logic of the clockwise numbering has broken down. I think at this point that they might be better off numbering from 1 to 17 with A and B ends on the through platforms. That isn't perfect though - having 3&4 completely hidden at the far end of the station and 8&9 completely obscured by a brick wall is confusing however you number it

True - there is no numbering scheme that can make invisible platforms become visible. But I think people tend to overstress the numbering aspect when saying Waverley is difficult to navigate. If you're a first time user having difficulty surely it's following signs to your designated platform that gives the trouble. If you're a frequent user you'll surely get to know the platforms regardless of how they're numbered.
Having said that.... I'm not a big fan of using letters like A/B or E/W on medium length platforms, but I suppose there's no way round it when you have both long and short formations using the continuous platform. Mixing this nomenclature with 'front train' and 'rear train' can end up confusing people, though. Working out the front from rear might present challenges sometimes too.

 

[385001]

AFAIAA LNER & XC do not want their passengers inconvenienced by barrier checks so require them to be open (at least in part) whenever one of their trains is arriving or departing.

Anecdotally I have heard that LNER are quite happy with the incomplete barrier line.

Interesting. Thanks for the info.

 

[edwin_m]

I see the map on National Rail includes a handy compass in an attempt to explain the logic. The scheme was devised when the station was basically a large island with bays and a small island tacked onto the end of the series. It now has to cope with two extra half-islands each with their own access from the footbridge, although only one of those accesses leads to non-consecutive platform numbers. They have at least managed to preserve the numbering of the west end bays (possibly dictated by the signalling).

I'd say in its present form the station would be better suited to a more conventional numbering scheme that works its way across the islands from one side to the other. It's a few years since I visited but at the time the directional signage to platforms from other parts of the station was pretty poor too.

 

[adrock1976]

Should if the platforms ever get renumbered, would it work for odd numbers facing Berwick upon Tweed with even numbers facing Carlisle/Glasgow/Fife?

 

[edwin_m]

Should if the platforms ever get renumbered, would it work for odd numbers facing Berwick upon Tweed with even numbers facing Carlisle/Glasgow/Fife?

I think that would be even more confusing. People will tend to assume platform 7 is near platform 6, as it is for Bristol Temple Meads which is the only other station I can think of with that type of numbering. At Waverley they wold be 100+ metres apart on opposite sides of the building.

I would say P1 would be against the north wall, P2 and P3 the northern side of the main island, then a block of numbers for east bays, a block of numbers for the west bays, and then the south side through platforms from north to south. Or vice versa starting from the south side. Probably leave a few gaps in the numbering for future expansion!

 

[och aye]

It looks there is still some work ongoing. Work site is still on the south ramp and bits and pieces still need doing around platform 12.

Gates for 11 and 12 are fully operational. It looks like there is a flexible ‘gate’ for platforms 6 & 7. When I was in it was manually closed and passengers were directed by staff to the automatic gates. A few minutes later it was completely open. Hopefully there are plans to finish this off as it looks daft and incomplete.

View attachment 62615

Thanks for the photos.

I wonder why its taking so long to finish off the gateline area.

 

[InOban]

Because Scotrail want it but the other TOCs don't..

 

[Siemens Trains]

Thanks for the photos.

I wonder why its taking so long to finish off the gateline area.

Because Scotrail want it but the other TOCs don't..

I think the mills barriers & candy stripe tape in the photo will become fences & a gate respectively in the longer term rather than automatic ticket gates. Therefore this arrangement (employing a bouncer to distinguish between ScotRail and LNER/XC clients) might be permanent.

 

[InOban]

That's what I was told. There needs to be a gate to allow machinery on to the platform. The rest will be glass panels. But for LNER trains the gate will be staffed.

 

[och aye]

A friend of mine went through the station the other day and said the gate between platform 5 and the lift looks like it has been completed. He told me that they've used the same style of green painted metal that's been used at the ends of the new platforms.

 

[InOban]

But have they changed the signage? There was a tweet to ScotRail a few days ago from someone who missed their train from 7 because they followed the arrows and met the barricade. By the time they had retraced their route round the lift and through the gate line they missed their XC train. (They admit they had arrived at the last minute)

 

[6Z09]

Waverley is not in the least customer friendly as regards layout ,barriers,escalators etc.
A very long walk from the main concouse to platform 7 and the like!

 

[railjock]

Waverley is not in the least customer friendly as regards layout ,barriers,escalators etc.
A very long walk from the main concouse to platform 7 and the like!

Hard to provide as many platforms in a friendlier fashion given the geographic and historical limitations.

 

[gsnedders]

If anyone wants to give me a list of photos they want, I can try and take a bunch this evening while I likely have some time to kill in Edinburgh.

 

[6Z09]

Hard to provide as many platforms in a friendlier fashion given the geographic and historical limitations.

Agree with that, Passengers just need to allow extra time for changing trains/Connections.

 

[swt_passenger]

Presumably you can’t make P7 any nearer the main concourse area without abandoning the mid-platform crossovers. So it’s stuck where it is...

 

[och aye]

If anyone wants to give me a list of photos they want, I can try and take a bunch this evening while I likely have some time to kill in Edinburgh.

If you could take some photos of the new gated areas at P5 and P12 that would be very kind of you.

 

[385001]

Here’s the new gated area at platforms 6 and 7/11.

There’s a flexible sign on the concourse saying access to 6,7 & 11 is through the ticket gates.

I agree that the main signage will need to change at it won’t be correct if it’s a ScotRail service using them.

 

[221129]

Eh? The only access for passengers now will be via the ticket gates, regardless of whose trains are in.

 

[221129]

Eh? The only access for passengers now will be via the ticket gates, regardless of whose trains are in.