THE NEW Edinburgh Gateway station, serving the airport and providing an interchange with the city’s tram network, was offically opened by Scottish Transport Minister Humza Yousaf on 9 December. A continuing source of frustration to rail passengers – especially those coming from the north from Aberdeen, Dundee and Fife stations, for instance – had been to go right past the runway at Edinburgh Airport on a train with no possibility of it stopping there. Passenger numbers at the airport are approaching 12 million and growing every year, a reflection of Edinburgh’s status as a capital city, a tourist magnet and an international festival and conference centre.
An initial proposal for an Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, known as EARL, was debated in 2005. With rail links proposed to the Edinburgh & Glasgow main line and to Fife services, thereby tapping into many Scottish towns and cities, it had high scores for its connectivity. The plans showed tracks under the runway and an underground station beneath the terminal building. However, the price tag, put at £600 million, led to EARL’s abandonment on cost grounds in 2007.
A cheaper alternative was then proposed – a new interchange station at Gogar to connec…
