Especially to Inverkeithing, at that time of day.
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Edinburgh Gateway - A White Elephant ?
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Could there have been a big cruise ship in?
Numbers for most frequent journey to and from Edinburgh gateway culled from a power point linked below. annual , daily
EDINBURGH GATEWAY INVERKEITHING 49,806, 158
EDINBURGH GATEWAY KIRKCALDY 32,798, 104
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DALMENY 28,403, 90
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DUNDEE 24,923, 79
EDINBURGH GATEWAY EDINBURGH 28,698, 91
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DALGETY BAY 21,030, 67
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DUNFERMLINE 13,801, 44
EDINBURGH GATEWAY LEUCHARS 13,405, 42
EDINBURGH GATEWAY ROSYTH 9,759, 31
EDINBURGH GATEWAY BURNTISLAND 6,399, 20
https://www.tactran.gov.uk/cms-assets/2018 09 25 Item 5 ScotRail Presentation.pdf
EDINBURGH GATEWAY INVERKEITHING 49,806, 158
EDINBURGH GATEWAY KIRKCALDY 32,798, 104
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DALMENY 28,403, 90
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DUNDEE 24,923, 79
EDINBURGH GATEWAY EDINBURGH 28,698, 91
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DALGETY BAY 21,030, 67
EDINBURGH GATEWAY DUNFERMLINE 13,801, 44
EDINBURGH GATEWAY LEUCHARS 13,405, 42
EDINBURGH GATEWAY ROSYTH 9,759, 31
EDINBURGH GATEWAY BURNTISLAND 6,399, 20
https://www.tactran.gov.uk/cms-assets/2018 09 25 Item 5 ScotRail Presentation.pdf
Altnabreac
Established Member
ORR Station Usage stats show Edinburgh Gateway with 284,436 Entries and Exits in 2017-18.
219 stations in Scotland have less usage than Edinburgh Gateway.
16th out of 35 stations in the old Lothian region. 25th out of 57 stations in the Edinburgh City Region.
219 stations in Scotland have less usage than Edinburgh Gateway.
16th out of 35 stations in the old Lothian region. 25th out of 57 stations in the Edinburgh City Region.
So perhaps not quite a white elephant then.
Altnabreac
Established Member
Perhaps not indeed.
For completeness it should be pointed out that about 60,000 or so of the usage seeems to be extraction from South Gyle which has seen a fall in usage but it is still generating good additional demand.
It also remains to be seen what impact the re-development of the second runway area into office space will have. Double the passenger numbers?
Altnabreac
Established Member
I think it’s clear that usage here is going to grow rapidly as development takes place.
As well as the runway there is housing up towards Cammo and the International Business Gateway at Ingliston with both office and housing planned.
Throw in a 2tph Glasgow service via Almond Chord and I won’t be surprised if it hits 1M entries and exits in the medium term.
I would have thought South Gyle was slightly more convenient for most current users, although it's pretty marginal. If you were getting a season ticket to Edinburgh Gateway though surely you'd be best off getting it to South Gyle anyway if it's a similar price, just in case you ever needed to use it. Might affect the numbers a bit
Butts
Veteran Member
I imagine the usage may be heavily concentrated during certain periods of the Day - ie Rush Hour.
I was there three weeks ago and on both entry and exit the only Tram user. There were perhaps half a dozen other people in the actual station on both visits.
I was there three weeks ago and on both entry and exit the only Tram user. There were perhaps half a dozen other people in the actual station on both visits.
Even in the peaks Gateway isn’t that well used, yet at least. But I suspect you’re right as Edinburgh Park is in a similar situation. Around 800,000 use it per year yet it’s pretty much deserted outside peak times. Gateway will be similar unless the airport market picks up I think.
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Do they really have to have the crazy airport tram fare if it’s part of a rail/tram ticket?
I can understand it for milking tourists and business travel into the City or Edinburgh Park, but not for modal shift Scots folk.
I flew in and got a tram to Edinburgh Park for a meeting and even the conductor on the tram said...
“You two together? Next time get a taxi”
And what is going on with the airport tram stop.....why isn’t it in the terminal?!?
It’s not even under the big canopy (which didn’t even keep the ticket machines dry!), and the walkway roof doesn’t even reach that!
I can understand it for milking tourists and business travel into the City or Edinburgh Park, but not for modal shift Scots folk.
I flew in and got a tram to Edinburgh Park for a meeting and even the conductor on the tram said...
“You two together? Next time get a taxi”
And what is going on with the airport tram stop.....why isn’t it in the terminal?!?
It’s not even under the big canopy (which didn’t even keep the ticket machines dry!), and the walkway roof doesn’t even reach that!
The surcharge to the airport is due to the airport charging an access fee for the bus and tram, and yes it should be reduced to make the tram/bus more appealing. (info from this Edinburgh councillor:https://twitter.com/CllrChasBooth/status/1070788401656418305)
Mordac
Established Member
Why does the 35 just cost the normal fare then?
kje7812
Member
The 35 doesn't go to the airport anymore...
Mordac
Established Member
Oops, shows how long I've been away!
Butts
Veteran Member
Oops, shows how long I've been away!
And me, when did that change ?
Oops, shows how long I've been away!
Was changed to the 300 SkyLink around 2 years ago I believe... 35 is a new service now that runs via a few Uni campuses.
284k is not too bad considering traffic for the area will be split between Gateway and South Gyle
It’s just over a year ago (1st October 2017).
Could have sworn it was longer than that.
It’s just over a year ago (1st October 2017).
Could have sworn it was longer than that.
Altnabreac
Established Member
Really the thing worth looking at is that overall the three North West Edinburgh stations generate a usage of 1.6M entries and exits between them which would put them as the 14th busiest station in Scotland if they were a single station. If the line layout had been slightly different historically it could easily be that a single station would be serving this area instead.
Edinburgh Park 888,010
South Gyle 432,946
Edinburgh Gateway 284,436
I could have sworn it was much longer than that too.
My main gripe with Gateway is not the purpose of the station itself, just the lack of publicity from ScotRail, probably overengineered station and the (external factor) Airport demanding access fees which make public transport to the Airport less ideal than it should be.
For a new station like Gateway, 284k a year is a pretty decent figure. It may not have hit expected figures but there are a lot of factors that play a part in that including:
- several direct buses from Edinburgh are more attractive for East Lothian/Borders/Edinburgh - Airport travellers
- direct 747 bus is more attractive for Fife (and possibly furher North) passengers
- lack of any sort of publicity from ScotRail/Transport Scotland
- 2 other stations serving similar purposes nearby that are probably more convenient for the business park
- one (Park) also having a Tram-Airport link with better rail links (eg Glasgow, West Lothian, Stirling, the West)
- the other (South Gyle) affects the ideal frequency for Gateway
- lack of originally planned Almond Chord which would provide links to some of the busiest stations in Scotland (eg Glasgow, Stirling, Falkirk stations, Linlithgow, Croy)
There are probably a few more but overall the numbers are quite good for a new station and certainly are a lot more than I thought they would be, given my experience of the station. The Almond Chord would probably triple the usage right now.
Easily.
Altnabreac
Established Member
To some extent it would depend on the proposed calling pattern at Gateway.
My understanding is that the Winchburgh calls will be in new Stirling semi fast service so this will continue to run via Edinburgh Park.
The Cumbernauld / Grahamston services could potentially be diverted Edinburgh Gateway albeit at the cost of some inconvenience to westbound Edinburgh Park - Falkirk users of reducing Edinburgh Park frequency to 2tph
The big potential gain would be if Edinburgh - Glasgow via Falkirk High frequency was increased to 6tph and 2tph of those could call at Edinburgh Gateway giving a fast service to Falkirk High, Croy and Glasgow. if that happened then it would be a game change for Edinburgh Gateway usage. Really that is what the station has been designed and specced for and that service would see the station fully utilised.
You'd also have potential for a number of other additional services like 4tph fast Linlithgow - Glasgow and direct Lenzie / Bishopbriggs to Edinburgh services.
47271
Established Member
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Ah, at last I understand. Not that it makes it any better.
In which case first and foremost somebody needs to sort out the Airport on the cost of through tickets. The tram fare is bad enough but if the Airport's charges undermine the use of infrastructure provided by the taxpayer, and that infrastucture encourages use of integrated public transport, then it should be a bigger political issue than it is.
Mind you, even if the fares get fixed I'm not convinced that anything more will be done to promote Gateway.
I travelled to South Gyle, walked to Gyle Centre, took the tram to Ingliston Park and Ride and walked to Edinburgh Airport yesterday. Technically, there isn't pedestrian access from Ingliston Park and Ride to anywhere other than the tram stop but I appreciated the saving of £2.80 relative to the airport surcharge on the tram fare.
I'm not sure what the fine is for leaving Ingliston Park and Ride is on foot and how it is administered.
I hadn't appreciated that the 35 had been cut back until I got to the Gyle Centre.
I'm not sure what the fine is for leaving Ingliston Park and Ride is on foot and how it is administered.
I hadn't appreciated that the 35 had been cut back until I got to the Gyle Centre.
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