Edinburgh Gateway station

Edinburgh Gateway station is a railway station and interchange at Gogar in Edinburgh, Scotland, which opened on 11 December 2016.[2] It is served by Abellio ScotRail and Edinburgh Trams, and serves both Gogar and Edinburgh Airport, to which it is connected by the tram line.

"Gogar railway station" redirects here. For the station in Wales, see Gogarth railway station.

Edinburgh Gateway
Scottish Gaelic: Slighe Dhùn Èideann[1]
Edinburgh Gateway station, view south from the pedestrian over-bridge
Location
PlaceGogar
Local authorityEdinburgh
Coordinates55.941°N 3.320°W / 55.941; -3.320
Grid referenceNT176727
Operations
Station codeEGY
Managed byAbellio ScotRail
Owned byNetwork Rail
Edinburgh Trams
Number of platforms4 (2 National Rail & 2 Edinburgh Trams)
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2016/17 58,386
2017/18 0.284 million
2018/19 0.324 million
– Interchange 2,397
History
11 December 2016Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
  • Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Edinburgh Gateway from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

Background
A ScotRail train passing Edinburgh Airport, prior to the construction of Edinburgh Gateway station and close to its present site.

As part of the Strategic Transports Project Review, which plans what is going to happen with Scotland's transport over the next 20 years, 29 investment priorities were identified in support of the future growth of Scotland's businesses and communities. One of these was the construction of Gogar station for better access to Edinburgh Airport through onward travel on the Edinburgh tram network as well as the rest of the area through the integration with the tram system.[3] This may be to compensate for the scrapping of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link[4] and the station was part of the original proposal. The station would also thought to be delivered sooner.[5][6]

Edinburgh Gateway tram connections map

EGIP

The railway station is part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), a major Scottish transport project involving infrastructure improvements and electrification of most railway lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It was intended that services between the two cities will increase to 13 trains per hour with fastest time being 35 minutes but after the Scottish Department For Transport reviewed the project, it was down scaled and services will continue to be every 15 minutes but with new, longer electric trains, which will at least meet the journey time targets originally set out. The project also includes the electrification of eight routes and 350 km of existing lines.[4][7] The Shotts Line will have an increase in services with the provision of a limited express service.[4]

Location and infrastructure
An Edinburgh Tram passing Edinburgh Gateway tram stop

The railway station is located at the A8 to the east of Gogar.[4] The station has two platforms. The platforms have been constructed to accommodate the longest trains currently operating in Scotland (London North Eastern Railway). A chord is proposed a few miles to the north of the station, near the River Almond crossing, to provide another link between Glasgow and Edinburgh with potential for increasing services through.[4][5][8]

The original design for the station included a 1st floor and high level bridge but following consultation these were removed with an at-grade bridge providing easier access. The design of the station is to provide a secure covered area for parking of 100 cycles as well as five cycle lockers. This is located next to the station building and is monitored by CCTV. Lifts inside the station building are large enough to accommodate bicycles. The station provides an interchange with Edinburgh Trams to Edinburgh and the airport as well as providing more access to The Gyle Shopping Centre through a subway under the A8.[4][7]

History

Network Rail submitted its plans for the interchange on 9 October 2009 following completion of the pre-planning submission consultation. Gogar was the first infrastructure project to go the through the National Planning Framework. The consultation involved four public exhibitions with clear public support for the investments and the proposal.[7]

When the tram line was built in 2013, provision was made for Edinburgh Gateway but it would not open until the same time as the railway station. In February 2015, a contract to build the station was awarded to Balfour Beatty with work commencing in April 2015.[9][10] The new station building was designed by IDP Architects.[11]

In June 2016 the station was badly vandalised while still under construction. Vehicles and windows were damaged.[12]

Edinburgh Gateway station was officially opened by the Scottish Government Minister for Transport and the Islands Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2016.[13] The station opened to the public on 11 December 2016.[2]

Services

Edinburgh Gateway station is served half-hourly by trains operating on the Fife Circle Line, and hourly by services operating to Perth, Dundee and Inverness.

Fife Circle trains scheduled to stop at Edinburgh Gateway will normally skip the nearby South Gyle station.

All Edinburgh Trams services are currently scheduled to call at Edinburgh Gateway.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
South Gyle or Haymarket   Abellio ScotRail
Fife Circle Line		   Dalmeny
Preceding station   Edinburgh Trams   Following station
Gyle Centre
towards York Place		   Edinburgh Trams
Line 1		   Gogarburn
towards Edinburgh Airport

References
  1. Brailsford, Martyn, ed. (December 2017) [1987]. "Gaelic/English Station Index". Railway Track Diagrams 1: Scotland & Isle of Man (6th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. ISBN 978-0-9549866-9-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "New Edinburgh Gateway interchange opens in capital". Retrieved 11 December 2016.
  3. "Strategic Transport Projects Review". Scottish Executive. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  4. Abbott, James (October 2009). James Abbott (ed.). "Walk like an EGIPtian". Modern Railways. Ian Allan Publishing. 66: 48–49.
  5. "Edinburgh Airport rail improvements". Scottish Executive. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  6. Stewart Stevenson (10 December 2008). "Edinburgh Airport Rail Link". Scottish Executive. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  7. "Gogar Rail Interchange". Network Rail. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  8. "EARL, Gogar and trams". Edinburgh International Surface Link. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  9. "Balfour Beatty wins Edinburgh Gateway station". Construction Enquirer. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  10. Work begins on new West Edinburgh train station Edinburgh Evening News 18 April 2015
  11. "Edinburgh Gateway". IDP Architects. IDP Architects. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  12. "Edinburgh Gateway railway station 'extensively damaged' - BBC News". BBC Online. 12 June 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
  13. "New £41m Edinburgh Gateway station now open". Rail Technology Magazine. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
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