CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
“ ‘Masterplan’ to expand Edinburgh Waverley by 2048 goes on public display“
(13 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
-
“
Lothian MSP Miles Briggs commented: “This is an exciting new proposal for the development of Edinburgh Waverly Station.
“
(Sic)
I’m assuming that was emailed by someone in his parliamentary office (near Waverley).
Posted 6 years ago # -
“
“Whatever form the new development of Edinburgh Waverley Station takes, it is essential that disabled access is central to the new proposal.
“
He’s right there (and better access generally for ‘active travel’).
Obviously they will have to get parliamentary approval for raising the roofline above Princes Street. If that’s what they intend, how about adding buses?
Posted 6 years ago # -
The BBC story contains this bit:
"Norrie Courts, director of stations for Network Rail, outlined the key problems with the station's current set up.
He identified connectivity, accessibility - especially from the Old Town, Waverley Bridge and Princes Street"
So... all of the entrances/exits then?
Posted 6 years ago # -
Except Calton Road, apparently, which is hardly a shining example in terms of accessibility.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Get the tunnel under the New Town open again and I'm on board...
(in case this is news to anyone... http://www.gcat.org.uk/urbex/?p=150)
Posted 6 years ago # -
"especially" doesn't imply that the ones he didn't mention are shining examples.
It looks to me like the proposed east concourse will effectively reinstate the pedestrian route across the east end of the station. Originally it ran from Jeffrey Street to Calton Road, using a footbridge built in to the station's roof structure - the raised section of the roof is still there, and from below you can (or you could in June 2015) see the bearers for the footbridge deck within the roof ironwork:
That could mean that the Re-Bridge The Gap! campaign might finally see its goal achieved.
The proposed concourse route would be a bit further west than the original footbridge, and it looks like it would start from East Market Street rather than Jeffrey Street, but it would still come out on Calton Road.
Posted 6 years ago # -
@chdot: Obviously they will have to get parliamentary approval for raising the roofline above Princes Street.
It doesn't look to me as if that's what they are proposing. Have a look at the diagram on the last page of the proposals PDF. I know it's a fairly rough sketch but it looks to me as if the only part which will be above Princes Street will be the pedestrian access route next to the Balmoral, which already has a roof which is above street level (which is pretty much unavoidable if you're going to provide shelter from the weather for a street level access). It does show the main overall roof as being higher, to accommodate the mezzanine concourse levels, but it still looks like it'll be below Princes Street ground level.
How it might turn out when they let an architect loose on it, though, who knows - especially if they get carried away with the idea of the "iconic feature roof" highlighted in the immediately preceding diagram.
I think it might be quite pleasant to have the original ticket hall as a central feature, rather than an obstruction to movement about the site as it so often seems to be these days.
The new access route from North Bridge could be a bit of a boon.
I wonder whether the 'secret' lift access into the Balmoral Hotel (as visited by Julie Walters for her 2017 Coastal Railways series on Channel 4) would survive?
Posted 6 years ago # -
“
HERITAGE groups have voiced “disappointment” and “deep concern” at the proposals set out in the draft masterplan for the redevelopment of Edinburgh’s Waverley station.
And watchdog Historic Environment Scotland said it could not support the current proposal.
“
Posted 6 years ago # -
My first impression is that it'd be quite Liverpool Street, and that's not flattering
Posted 6 years ago # -
“it'd be quite Liverpool Street, and that's not flattering”
Indeed
Apart from aesthetics and access, is there much credibility to the commercial imperatives and passenger projections?
The market in the dead space at the back didn’t work (ok minor transitory detail).
Edinburgh Gateway might work when the whole of west Edinburgh is built on.
But “annual footfall through the terminal predicted to double to over 49 million by 2048.”
REALLY??
Platform capacity, trains, people wanting to visit (pedestrian) gridlock??
Will they have enough drivers??
Maybe “footfall” is shoppers not passengers...
Posted 6 years ago # -
I'd say the plans are reminiscent of Euston or Birmingham New Street. Anyone who has ever used either station will know what I mean. Dark, airless platforms below concourses designed to free space for commercial development of one kind or another.
Posted 6 years ago # -
“Anyone who has ever used either station will know what I mean.”
Yes.
Not like Edinburgh needs another large shopping centre.
Posted 6 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
posts
