This is a five platform station in the west of Edinburgh where the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and Caledonian Railway divide. An 1842 Georgian building, by John Miller, dating from the opening as a terminus now fronts a station which is a train, tram and bus interchange.
The station was the 1842 eastern terminus of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway before extension by tunnel and through Princes Street Gardens Cutting to Edinburgh Waverley in 1846. (Haymarket Tunnels) The trainshed was to the west of the station building. When extended east the new platforms were built to the south of the original. The station building, topped with a clock, presents a two storey frontage onto the former Haymarket and three stories at the rear.
North of the station was Haymarket Goods and north west Haymarket Coal Yard, both now remembered in the name 'Haymarket Yards' for the area.
A second tunnel opened to the south of the original in 1892 as part of the general improvements and quadrupling of the line following the opening of the Forth Bridge in 1890. The two additional tracks are now platforms 3 and 4. A large retaining wall was needed on the south side of the station.
In late 1982 the train-shed from here was removed to Bo'ness on the Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway [Preserved] (formerly the Slamannan and Borrowstounness Railway).
The original platform canopies on the through platforms have been replaced with newer versions.
The northernmost platform, platform 0, was opened during works to install overhead wires through Haymarket North Tunnel between Haymarket and Waverley in 2010.
A new entrance, booking hall and circulating area was built in 2012-13, making the station a train, tram and bus interchange. The tram route opened in 2013.
E&G MilepostsA milepost which was formerly at Cadder Yard, 'Edinburgh 41 - Glasgow 5', is at Haymarket station. The 'Edinburgh 32 - Glasgow 14' milepost from near Dullator Colliery is at Glasgow Queen Street High Level. |
21/02/1842 | Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Service starts between Glasgow Queen Street (then simply 'Glasgow') and Haymarket ('Edinburgh'). |
/ /1846 | Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Edinburgh General station (Edinburgh Waverley) opened further east from Haymarket, the former terminus. |
01/08/1846 | Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Line extended from Haymarket to meet the North British Railway at North Bridge station. |
/ /1847 | Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway) Slateford to Haymarket (Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway) Act passed. |
13/10/1853 | Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway) From Slateford Junction [1st] to a bay platform by the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway's Haymarket station opened. Trains could run from the bay to Carstairs or Falkirk. The line is opened with a running of the Royal Train to Haymarket. The connection at Haymarket was taken out later. |
07/09/1964 | Edinburgh Station and Branches (Caledonian Railway) Duff street connection opened (Duff Street Junction, at Haymarket on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway opened). This connection allowed Edinburgh Princes Street to be closed. |
/06/2000 | Edinburgh and Dalkeith Railway Strategic Rail Authority to contribute £800,000 towards the operation of Edinburgh CrossRail - a half hour service from west of Edinburgh through Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley to new stations at Brunstane and Kinnaird Park (Newcraighall). The Scottish Executive has commited £8M. |
/01/2005 | Edinburgh Trams Network Rail objects to plan to cross Haymarket station. This plan would have involved loss of the car park and not allowed station expansion. Further west it suggested expansion of Haymarket Depot would be impossible. |