Edinburgh Gateway station

Edinburgh Gateway station is a planned railway station and interchange at Gogar in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is to be served by First ScotRail and Edinburgh Trams and is planned to open by December 2016.

Current proposals (as of October 2013) are to call the rail station and tram stop "Edinburgh International Gateway". Previously the name would have been Gogar.

Background
As part of the Strategic Transports Project Review, which plans what is going to happen with Scotland's transport over the next 20 years, 29 investment priorities were identified in support of the future growth of Scotland's businesses and communities. One of these was the construction of Gogar station for better access to Edinburgh Airport through onward travel on the Edinburgh tram network as well as the rest of the area through the integration with the tram system. This may be to compensate for the scrapping of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link and the station was part of the original proposal. The station would also thought to be delivered sooner.

EGIP
The railway station is the first physical part of the of the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), a major Scottish transport project involving infrastructure improvements and electrification of most railway lines between Glasgow and Edinburgh. The EGIP project is expected to cost between £500 million and £1.05 billion and may last until 2016. Services between the two cities will increase to 13 trains per hour with fastest time being 35 minutes and the electrification of eight routes and 350 km of existing lines. The Shotts Line will have an increase in services with the provision of a limited express service.

Consultation
Network Rail submitted its plans for the interchange on 9 October 2009 following completion of the pre-planning submission consultation. Gogar is the first infrastructure project to go the through the National Planning Framework. The consultation involved four public exhibition with clear public support for the investments and the proposal.

Location and infrastructure
The railway station will be located at the A8 to the east of the Gogar. The station will have two platforms and will be available for Edinburgh to Fife trains. A chord is proposed a few miles to the north of the station, near the River Almond crossing, to provide another link between Glasgow and Edinburgh with potential for increasing services through.

The original design for the station included a 1st floor and high level bridge but following consultation these were removed with an at-grade bridge providing easier access. The design of the station is to provide a secure covered area for parking of 100 cycles as well as five cycle lockers. This will be located next to the station building and be monitored by CCTV. Lifts inside the station building will be large enough to accommodate bicycles. The station is expected to provide an interchange with Edinburgh Trams to Edinburgh and the airport as well as provide more access to The Gyle Shopping Centre through a subway under the A8.

Progress
As at September 2012, the station still appeared to be at a planning stage.

By April 2013 work had commenced; the tram update photo showed "Edinburgh Gateway worksite" alongside the tram depot.

As of October 2013 work on the tram line through Edinburgh Gateway is complete, but a considerable amount of construction work is still required on the railway station. Edinburgh Gateway station will not be completed in time for the projected opening of the Edinburgh Trams in May 2014; the Transport Scotland website now states an anticipated opening date by December 2016. Unlike the other 15 stops on the tram line, the Edinburgh Gateway tram stop will not open until the main line railway station is complete.