A passenger lounge designed for families has been unveiled at Edinburgh Waverley station. The new space at Scotland’s busiest railway station aims to make travelling by train with children more attractive and inclusive.
The lounge was opened in a special event on Wednesday, December 3, by London North Eastern Railway in partnership with Edinburgh’s Christmas. The rail operator runs services to and from the capital daily.
Located within the historic customer atrium accessible from the main concourse, it is an ideal place to visit for families travelling with any train operator.
The lounge features a children’s play area based on Edinburgh Castle, specially commissioned murals featuring the iconic Forth Bridge and other famous Scottish landmarks.
Other features include beach huts with tabletop games, interactive games, soft flooring and crawl spaces. There are also infinity sensory screens, unique to the lounge.
There is also plenty of space for parents and carers to relax with ample seating and coffee tables, as well as a comfortable and discreet space for breastfeeding.
To celebrate, passengers and customers were treated to a Christmas spectacular featuring Santa, surprise visits from pantomime characters, and exclusive festive giveaways from Hearts, Hibs, and Edinburgh Rugby.
Colette Casey, LNER Customer Experience Director said: “Our new Family Lounge in Edinburgh sees LNER continuing to lead the way when it comes to making rail travel more attractive and inclusive for families.
“Millions of customers start or end their journey at Edinburgh each year, and we can’t wait for our family travellers to experience and enjoy this new, exciting space.”
Directors of Unique Assembly, who create and produce Edinburgh’s Christmas, said: “We were thrilled to bring extra seasonal sparkle to Waverley Station for families travelling to and from Edinburgh, with a special surprise visit from Santa himself.
“The new LNER Family Lounge is a fantastic addition to the station, helping make festive journeys to the capital’s spectacular Christmas attractions even more magical!”
A new Passenger Assist lounge has also opened at the station. -Credit:LNER
Opening alongside the Family Lounge is a new Passenger Assist lounge in the main customer atrium. The bespoke area provides customers who require additional help when travelling with a comfortable, quiet space to wait ahead of their journey.
It is also the main meeting point for customers who need Passenger Assist while travelling by train.