Three and a half million people passed through Waverley station in August – a seven per cent increase compared to 2016.

The second weekend of the Edinburgh festivals was the busiest few days of the month, with 384,000 people passing through the station in just three days.

The ScotRail Alliance increased the number of services to and from Edinburgh during the festivals, including late-night journeys. The number of carriages on trains was also significantly increased.

Edinburgh Waverley station manager Juliet Donnachie said:

“For three and a half million people to have travelled through Waverley during August shows the impact of the festivals.

“Getting people to and from Edinburgh during the festivals is a massive operation, and our station teams at Waverley and across the network did a great job helping customers travel about hassle free.

“The festivals are a chance to showcase Edinburgh, and the country, to the world. We are delighted to have played such an important part in making the festivals a success.”

– More than 384,000 people passed through Edinburgh Waverley station during the second weekend of the festivals
– Increase of 8 per cent compared to the equivalent weekend in 2016
– More services, late-night trains and extra carriages compared to the regular timetable

The number of people passing through Edinburgh Waverley station during the second weekend of the August Edinburgh festivals increased by 8 per cent compared to 2016, the ScotRail Alliance confirmed today.

More than 384,000 people passed through Edinburgh Waverley station between Friday 11 August and Sunday 13 August. This is an 8 per cent increase compared to the 355,000 people who passed through Waverley during the second weekend of the festivals in 2016.

It was revealed last week that more than 340,000 people passed through Waverley during the first weekend of the festivals this year, highlighting the scale of the operation being undertaken by the ScotRail Alliance.

Customers are encouraged to plan their journeys in advance by visiting www.scotrail.co.uk, downloading the ScotRail app or buying a ticket at the station before boarding.

Highlights of the ScotRail Alliance’s August festivals programme include:

– Additional late night trains between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street (via Falkirk High) operating daily, departing from Edinburgh at 00.01 and 00.30.
– A major increase in the number of carriages between Glasgow and Edinburgh, particularly Friday to Sunday, both via the Airdrie/Bathgate line and via Falkirk High
– Many extra carriages between Edinburgh and Fife on Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday

Juliet Donnachie, station manager at Edinburgh Waverley, said:

“These figures show the scale of the operation the ScotRail Alliance is running during the Edinburgh festivals.

“Our station teams at Waverley and across the whole network are working flat out to get customers to and from Edinburgh hassle free. The festivals are a great advert for the city and the country as a whole, and we are proud to play our part in making them a success.

“We know that our trains will continue to be very busy during the festivals, so we are encouraging all customers to plan their journeys in advance.”