Edinburgh Waverley railway station

Edinburgh Waverley is the main train station in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in the whole country, just after Glasgow Central. Many people use this station every day to travel to and from Edinburgh.

The station is very important because it is the end point of the East Coast Main Line, a big railway that goes from London to Scotland. Trains travel a very long distance of 393 miles from London King's Cross to reach Edinburgh Waverley. Some trains from London, operated by London North Eastern Railway, keep going to other places in Scotland after they stop in Edinburgh.

In Scottish Gaelic, the station's name is "Waverley Dhùn Èideann." Whether you call it Edinburgh Waverley or just Edinburgh, it is a key place for train travel in Scotland.

History

Edinburgh's Old Town was built on a steep hill, with a valley to the north filled by the Nor Loch. In the 1700s, plans were made to build a bridge across this valley to connect to new areas for development. This led to the creation of the North Bridge and the start of building the New Town to the north.

In the 1830s, ideas for a railway from Glasgow to Edinburgh were proposed. The first railway to Edinburgh opened in 1842, ending at Haymarket, not right in the city center. Later, in 1846, another railway opened a station called North Bridge Station. Over time, these stations were combined and renamed Waverley, after a famous book series. The current station building was completed in the late 1800s and has been in use ever since. In 1991, electric trains began running to Edinburgh as part of improvements to the railway line. The station has been updated many times over the years to make travel easier for everyone.

Location

Waverley station is located in a steep, narrow valley between the old part of the city called the Old Town and the newer part called the New Town. A busy shopping street named Princes Street is near the station's north side. A big bridge called the North Bridge crosses over the station. Most of the station is west of this bridge.

The main ticket hall is just west of a large stone pillar under the bridge. At the western end of the station is Waverley Bridge, which used to let cars into the station and now has walkways for people to use. To the west of the station is a public park called Princes Street Gardens. On the east side of the station are buildings like St Andrew's House and the Governor's House.

Services

Many train companies operate from Edinburgh Waverley station. As of May 2025, here are some of the main services you might see:

• London North Eastern Railway goes to London King's Cross and other places like Newcastle, York, Aberdeen, and Inverness.
• CrossCountry heads to Plymouth, Glasgow Central, and Aberdeen.
• Avanti West Coast travels to London Euston through Carlisle and Preston.
• TransPennine Express goes to Manchester Airport and Newcastle.
• Lumo started services in 2021, linking to London King's Cross and Glasgow Queen Street.
• Caledonian Sleeper offers overnight trains to London Euston and destinations like Fort William.
• ScotRail runs many local services to places such as Glasgow Queen Street, Helensburgh Central, Dunbar, and Inverness.

Layout

Edinburgh Waverley station has a special design. In the middle, there is a large island platform surrounded by other platforms on all four sides. The station has 20 numbered platforms arranged in a clockwise direction from the northeast. Some platforms share the same tracks.

There are two tracks on the north side, with Platform 20 on the west and Platform 1 on the east, and another track with Platform 19 on the west and Platform 2 on the east. There are four east-facing bay platforms, numbered 3 to 6. On the south side, there are four tracks. From north to south, these include a track shared by Platform 11 (west) and Platform 7 (east), followed by Platform 10, Platform 9 (split into west and east sections), and Platform 8 (also split into west and east sections). Finally, there are seven west-facing bay platforms, numbered 12 to 18.

Other transport connections

You can take the tram from St Andrew Square to get to Edinburgh Waverley. This tram stop is close to the Edinburgh bus station, which is about 200 metres away. Some buses also stop near the station on Princes Street, and there are taxis waiting outside at Market Street.

Future developments

In 2019, plans were announced to update Edinburgh Waverley station to handle more passengers in the future. The plans include adding a new level above the platforms to help people move around easier and connect to a nearby shopping area. The old entrance ramps will be removed, and the new level will have glass walls offering great views of the historic Old Town area.

There are also plans for a new tram route that might stop near the station, making it easier to switch between trains and trams.