Edinburgh Waverley welcomed a record number of passengers at the weekend, as thousands of festivalgoers and music fans descended on the capital for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and the highly anticipated Oasis concerts at Murrayfield.
The station recorded its busiest day on Saturday 9 August, with footfall reaching 148,000 – its highest since passenger number tracking began in 2019. It surpasses the previous record of 145,000 set on Saturday 14 December 2024 during the Christmas markets.
While the weekend saw record-breaking numbers, the start of the week was more challenging with Storm Floris bringing disruption to services and temporarily reducing footfall. Despite the weather-related reduction, passenger numbers approached nearly 800,000 in what was the first week of the Fringe and Tattoo.
Extra staff were on hand to support passengers making their way through the station, with teams working across the concourse and platforms to keep services running smoothly and ensure a positive experience for visitors and locals alike.
Chris King, station manager at Edinburgh Waverley, said: “It’s brilliant to see so many people enjoying what Edinburgh has to offer. We always expect August to be busy, but this weekend was exceptional. The Fringe and Tattoo brings an incredible buzz to the city every year, and adding Oasis into the mix meant we had a real ‘Wonderwall’ of people coming through the station.
“The weekend shows how important rail is in connecting people to these events and experiences. Our team did a fantastic job keeping everything running as smoothly as possible, and we’ll continue working hard to ensure our station is ready to meet that continued demand in the weeks ahead.”
With the Fringe in full swing and more events scheduled, the station is prepared for high footfall to continue throughout the month.
Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead for their journeys and allow extra time for travel during this busy period.
Image credit: Network Rail