Anyone familiar with cycle parking/storage facilities at Waverley Station?
Are there secure facilities I can leave the bike at, or just racks I'll need my lock for?
Cheers.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure
Waverley Bike Parking
(29 posts)-
Posted 11 years ago #
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Bike parking at Platform 3 or beside the Transport Police office. Looks like two cycle lockers at the Police office too. If memory serves, you need to speak to the station manager's office about the lockers (there's a pile of them down at Newcraighall - wonder how many see any use?).
Platform 3 also has a small bike repair hub (pump, workstand and some tools).
Locking your bike to anything other than the appointed racks will result in it being removed.
I'd always have a lock, even in a 'secure' lock up.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Thanks @Mandopicker1 I was hoping to get away with being lazy and not lugging a big lock up there ;-)
Posted 11 years ago # -
Does anyone else agree that the bike parking at Waverley is amongst the worst and most difficult to use in Edinburgh? There are two banks of two-tier racks and one bank of toast-rack style 'sheffield' racks. Let's deal with the toast-racks first. They are too close together, so you can only comfortably lock one bike against each rack. You can, with some considerable effort, get another bike alongside, but why, [b]why, do they continue to provide rubbish facilities when there is the practically perfect option of lovely, properly spaced Sheffield racks which give twice the capacity (see Sainsburys at Gorgie for superb Sheffields sadly underused). Now the two-tier design. There is a special place in hell for the designer of these montrosities. First, you can't figure out how to use them without reading the accompanying instructions; second, although the instructions advise to lock through both frame and wheel, this is impossible with just one D lock; third, both tiers are wheel benders; fourth, if you choose the upper tier, you have to physically lift the bike into the wheel channel (yes I know the mechanism can be pulled down, but not down to the ground, you still have to lift); if you choose the lower tier, always assuming there is one available, which is unlikely, you have to be a contortionist to get underneath, and run the risk of banging your head on the tier above. I could go on, but you get the picture. They are absolutely rubbish and the only reason they are used is because there is nothing else.
Posted 11 years ago # -
By chance I was there today with a CCEer who pointed out that the three sets near the police office were actually different designs with slightly different ways of stopping bikes falling over!
Posted 11 years ago # -
I've never used the tiered ones for exactly the reason you say - couldn't see any easy way to lock bike on.
And indeed the last time I used the Sheffields - with arellcat I think? we struggled to fit our bikes in and she observed that they were too close together.
Posted 11 years ago # -
Used the above pictured tiered racks today
Was a little surprised to find they don't have any sort of sprung or hydraulic assist to help your bike up or stop it flying down. Requires oneself to adopt quite a strong stance in both directions.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Remind me. Network Rail don’t allow e-bikes to park in Waverley? Need to leave shop cargobike there or around.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Unfortunately correct, no ebikes allowed to park in Waverly. Not sure if there's much else in the area beyond regular street Sheffield stands and those awful double decked racks at St James Quarter. Probably best off looking for a chunky lamp post if you have a chain for it.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Nice long Sheffields with good oversight at Waverley Court?
Posted 1 month ago # -
Agree with @wingpig - I'd go for by the everyman statue at council offices.
Posted 1 month ago # -
(alternative thought - find a lock-up fence inside the Waverley surface car park accessed from New St - which is where they should be providing secure ebike parking during this stupid ban)
Posted 1 month ago # -
I can’t see you getting in to the station car park without a ticket on a cargo bike but there might be room at the barrier. There are stands or there used to be in the Public car park under the building way at the back. Again I doubt the fence in the car park would work but the OP of the Sheffield underneath the big man will work fine dependent on when you go. Can fill up tues-thurs.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Thanks all for feedback! I wedged UA beside small bike rack on Market Street. Didn't have time to explore options as going to Half Marathon.
Checked bike park on foot. Network Rail sign is fading away. Bike racks are pretty full which is good to see. A proportion must be non-movers though? Sunday not a commuting day.
Posted 1 month ago # -
After two weeks bikes get a warning notice on them, are then moved to storage for six months, and if unclaimed go to Bike Station for refurb:
So probably, not as many as there used to be!
Posted 1 month ago # -
For what it's worth:
With reference to signage currently on display at Edinburgh Waverley station alerting travellers that e-bikes (and e-scooters) must not be stored within the station, and with reference to FOIA/FOISA, and the EIRs where relevant, please could you:
1) provide a copy of the risk assessment, and its methodology, that led to this policy statement.
2) provide a copy of the equality impact assessment that was carried out as part of the policy formulation.
3) tell me if this policy relates solely to Edinburgh or if other stations across the network in Scotland and England are included.In addition, please tell me:
3) How many i) e-bikes, and ii) e-scooters were parked in Edinburgh Waverley station in an average month in the 12 months prior to the policy announcement.
4) How many e-bike/e-scooter battery-related incidents occurred in Edinburgh Waverley station in the 12 months prior to the policy announcement.Where any part of this request comprises publicly available information, please could you provide a convenient link.
I shall report back in 20 days' time.
Posted 1 month ago # -
At the time this policy was introduced I sent over an FOI:
Thankyou for your email of 4 September 2024 in which you requested the following information:
- Please provide the number of fires, explosions or emissions caused by ebikes or escooters being stored or wheeled through Edinburgh Waverley Station between 2020 and 2024 to date, i.e in the last four years.
- Fires, explosions or emissions caused by ebikes or escooters being stored or wheeled through Edinburgh Haymarket Station between 2020 and 2024 to date, i.e in the last four years.
- Fires, explosions or emissions caused by ebikes or escooters being stored
or wheeled through Glasgow Central Station between 2020 and 2024 to date, i.e in the last four years. - Fires, explosions or emissions caused by ebikes or escooters being stored or wheeled through Glasgow Queen Street Station between 2020 and 2024 to date, i.e in the last four years.
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited Registered Office: Network Rail, Waterloo General Office, London SE1 8SW. Registered in England and Wales No. 2904587 http://www.networkrail.co.uk
OFFICIAL
I have processed your request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and I can confirm that we do not hold this information.
We have searched our system and to our knowledge there have been no fires, explosions or emissions caused by ebikes or escooters being stored or wheeled through any of the stations above between 2020 and 2024 to date.
Spokes at the time had the following response to a letter addressed to the station manager about the policy:
The Waverley policy on e-bikes reflects our national guidance on e-devices.
Our fire safety team have investigated, analysed, and assessed the risks involved in storing and charging e-bikes and developed a set of Network Rail policies that direct our operations within Waverley. While there is no outright ban on the storage of e-bikes at our managed stations, they must be stored outside and three metres away from a building, which is unfortunately not possible at Waverley. The guidance follows a recent fire at Sutton Rail Station which involved an e-bike, and information from the London Fire Brigade which indicates a 78% increase in e-bike fires in 2023 compared to 2022.
We do recognise that the regulation and understanding around fire risk for these e-products and batteries is still evolving, and as a result the policy is under constant review.
Operators make their own assessments based on the available evidence, as do Network Rail. While storage is not possible, customers are welcome to wheel e-bikes through the station and should check their operator’s policy on transportation. I agree that our website could
make this clearer, and I will get in touch with the relevant team to make those changes.As a next step, I will pass your feedback to our Head of Fire Safety and would be happy to share any subsequent points you may wish to make.
Posted 1 month ago # -
...if only there was somewhere outside but within the grounds of the station already used for transport storage where secure ebike storage could be established not within 3m of any building
Posted 1 month ago # -
The building you can just see to the east of the large open area in the photograph is the underground car park. It has many electric cars charging. How have we survived without combustion? Well it seems the answer is that in this instance the council who have the offices above the fire zone have mitigated the risk by paying an extra premi7m on the buildings insurance. See also the washing machines on each floor that the cleaners usesd. Also. Mitigated by existing insurance premium.
Way easier to just ban stuff than do stuff
Posted 1 month ago # -
@bakky, maybe I didn't search the FOI disclosure log properly. I felt sure this would have been asked before but couldn't find anything helpful since April 2024.
FOI 202400835 might be relevant, but the log only titles it "Edinburgh Waverley station".
@g, hard agree. Reducing the risk by removing the source of the harm is why we got rid of all cars, of course. I wonder if Network Rail has decided to move in favour of risk management than its public sector equality duty.
Posted 1 month ago # -
How will Scotrail's new battery-electric trains get into Waverley?
Posted 1 month ago # -
OK, so to bring a wee bit of balance, there _are_ issues with the number of frankenebikes being assembled without battery management systems, whether those are DIY or from cheap kits, and the Lithium Ion fires they do cause are extremely dangerous. By comparison, there's hardly anyone doing similar with cars - at least in the UK - so that doesn't quite stand up.
Those cars are all reputable brands with battery management systems and a very low instance of spontaneous combustion. And the same is true of ebikes made by responsible manufacturers.
What would make the most sense in terms of the actual risks is a policy and relevant training that allows for major brand ebikes and approved kits like Swytch being parked in the station, explicitly not while charging which is where the majority of risk is anyway. The issue at hand is the lack of nuance and addressing the actual source of fires, which in nearly every documented case are no-name or homemade assemblies.
Posted 1 month ago # -
@bakky, we are saying the same thing. The council has banned its own Spesh E Bukes and sent them down to the Bangholm outdoor centre as they can be charged outside. As part of an overall ban. No nuance. The Spesh bike is the same as the electric cars that the council also own.
Posted 1 month ago # -
Might sound far-fetched but I wonder if big manufacturers would share a failure rate publicly... collating those...?
Posted 1 month ago # -
Reputable manufacturers and retailers should be strongly pushing back on ad-hoc bans.
Once a few places start to ban, the rest will follow...
Posted 1 month ago # -
With reference to signage currently on display at Edinburgh Waverley station alerting travellers that e-bikes (and e-scooters) must not be stored within the station, and with reference to FOIA/FOISA, and the EIRs where relevant, please could you etc.
A helpful but not helpful reply from Network Rail (my bold):
I have processed your request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and can confirm that we do not hold the information you’re looking for.
Our experts have advised that there is no national Network Rail policy which bans storage of these products; this includes any specific policy for Edinburgh Waverley Station. However, we are committed to facilitating the end-to-end journey experience for our passengers. This means we want to help create links with other forms of transport so customers can easily move between one form and another. Whilst doing this, we also need to be mindful of the safety of everyone in the station.
The general intention is, where possible, to facilitate storage and charging in external open spaces away from emergency escape routes and structures which can contribute to fire spread and growth, and enclosures where smoke can accumulate.
As the statistical evidence indicates, these products do introduce a fire risk to our stations which requires careful consideration. Smoke toxicity can also be an issue with lithium-ion batteries fires. It is widely acknowledged that the numbers quoted are underreported as not all incidents are reported.
So some knowledge of stats, no formal risk assessment, no EQIA and no formal public policy, but something masquerading as a policy. Random signs created by the station manager? And no formal monitoring of cycle parking at Waverley, at least as far as Network Rail is concerned. NR continues:
Advice and assistance
Information published by various sources Ebike and e-scooter fires in UK rise to new record highs | Firefighters | The Guardian indicates there were 432 e-bike and 147 e-scooter fires in the UK in 2025, which represents a significant increase in comparison to 2024. Further links include E-bikes and e-scooters fire safety guidance - NFCC. With this information in mind, Network Rail do need to be aware of the emerging evidence in managing the risk associated with such products.
Fires involving lithium-ion batteries have unique characteristics when compared to traditional batteries and often exhibit rapid fire growth and are difficult to extinguish, this is because of a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, they are also not currently regulated.
It may also be useful to know that the following Train Operating Companies all operate out of Edinburgh Waverley Station, and appear to have a varying degree of acceptance in regard to e-bikes and e-scooters.
You can find information on their individual policies and advice on their websites. I have provided the links to these below.
• LNER: Travelling On Our Trains With Bikes
• CrossCountry: Bike Reservation | Train Travel with a Bike
• Avanti West Coast: Taking Your Bike on the Train
• TransPennine Express: Travelling with an e-scooter
• ScotRail: E-scooters
• Lumo: Onboard Train Luggage Policy
• Caledonian Sleeper: Travelling with BikesNetwork Rail's FOI correspondence manager ought to understand that you should not merely say you don't hold information. You should also state which relevant FOIA/FOISA exemption you're applying and why it applies. 5/10. Must try harder.
Posted 3 days ago # -
I wonder what size the battery packs will be on ScotRail's new bi-mode OHLE electric/battery trains? I assume these will be charging in the Waverley for Fife and Borders services. They won't enter service until at least 2031 - but even still, seems a bit inconsistent.
Posted 3 days ago # -
ScotRail's procurement is very much live so I would expect everything to be under wraps. But it's reasonable to assume the batteries will be large to cope with discontinuous electrification, and be charged through both regenerative braking and via the OHLE. Charging within an otherwise restricted station might be allowed for exceptional reasons but I think it's SOP.
The shortlisted bidders are Alstom, CAF, Hitachi Rail, Siemens Mobility and Stadler, so we could look at the BEMUs they already offer. Alstom's Coradia has a Li-ion battery suitable for up to 120km; CAF's Civity will do 270km on its LTO battery; Hitachi uses a LiPO or LFP battery but is mainly for short runs less than 100km (I could only find blurb for the AT300 trains). Siemens has the Mireo Plus B using Li-ion that is good for 130km; the Stadler FLIRT also uses Li-ion and is good for 100km, although they eked out 185km in testing.
I would assume that charging from OHLE while in a station is actually normal operation, since there is no practical difference from charging while on the move.
Posted 2 days ago # -
“I would assume that charging from OHLE while in a station is actually normal operation, since there is no practical difference from charging while on the move.“
Technical Qs for technical expert
How will pantograph raising and lowering be initiated?
Will trains need to be stationary?
Posted 2 days ago #
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