Waverley Station’s Princes Street entrance will be closed from the beginning of next month as £7million construction work beings on rebuilding Waverley Steps. The work being carried out by recently appointed contractor Morgan Sindall will see the installation of three banks of double escalators and a "feature entrance" to the station on Princes Street, all of which will be enclosed by steel and glass canopy.
The project will also introduce a level walkway and two new lifts between Princes Street and Waverley Station.
“Installation of escalators between Waverley Station and Princes Street was first proposed in the 1920s," said Ron McAulay, Network Rail Director, Scotland, "so to finally reach the stage of putting a spade in the ground will be a major achievement. Our designs have been carefully considered to remain sensitive to the heritage and history of the location and we’re confident that this will be regarded as a positive improvement for the city.”
The work will begin once the steps are closed to the public in early February, with the construction on the Steps expected to take approximately one year.
The two 16-passenger lifts will be installed once the steps and escalator work is complete, with the contract due to be completed by July 2012.
A temporary access bridge spanning platforms 19 and 2 will be used during the closure of the Steps to maintain access between the station and Princes Mall. This will maintain access to Princes Street for passengers as well as the route via the north ramp from Waverley Bridge.
Frances Duffy, Director of Rail Delivery, Transport Scotland said: "We are delighted on the appointment of a contractor to begin works for a project which will improve access for rail passengers, including those with a mobility impairment, from Princes Street to one of Scotland's busiest rail stations, in turn opening up access to the wider rail network.
"We look forward to the successful completion of the Waverley Steps project which forms part of a wider strategy to encourage commuters to make the shift from road to rail."
The Waverley Steps redevelopment is funded by Transport Scotland.
The project is progressing in parallel with Network Rail’s wider improvements to Waverley Station, including reglazing of the station roof, improvements to platforms and future planned improvements to the Market Street entrance and Platforms 8 and 9.