Edinburgh trains: Everything you need to know about ScotRail service changes and Christmas timetable
ScotRail has released its new timetable which will see it put on extra trains during the busy festive season.
Similar to previous years, train times will differ over the festive period, with the last trains on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve departing earlier than normal. No trains will run on Christmas Day or New Year's Day.
ScotRail will operate a revised service on Boxing Day, mainly in the Strathclyde area, but also to and from Perth, Alloa, Dunblane, Dundee, Leven, Arbroath, Aberdeen, and between Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A normal service, with the exception of routes affected by engineering works, will be in operation between Saturday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 30 and a revised timetable will operate on Friday, January 2.
You can view all train information over the festive period on the ScotRail website.
Last week saw ScotRail record another record-breaking day for passenger journeys, with more than 345,000 journeys made across Scotland’s railway on Friday, December 12 – the highest daily total this year.
The record number of journeys surpasses previous highs seen during major events, including the Edinburgh Festivals and large scale concerts including Taylor Swift and Oasis. The train operator said customers have been travelling to Christmas parties, markets, shopping trips, and nights out as well as commuters taking advantage of better value fares.
David Ross, ScotRail chief operating officer, said: “It’s great to see so many people choosing to travel with ScotRail at one of the busiest times of the year. Friday’s record numbers show the hard work of our teams in adding extra services, running longer trains, and supporting our customers during this busy season.
“With Christmas parties, shopping trips, and celebrations underway – and with peak fares gone for good – rail offers a simple, cost-effective way to travel. We’ll keep focusing on providing the reliable service, seats, and support our customers expect as we approach Christmas and the New Year.”
Other notable changes include new morning weekday services between Edinburgh Waverley and North Berwick / Dunbar, additional evening services between Waverley and Dunblane (providing two trains per hour Monday to Saturday), and some Edinburgh to Dunbar services will now stop at Prestonpans, Longniddry, and Drem - removing a two-hour gap between services.
The new changes came into effect on Sunday, December 14, and although most changes are minor, customers are encouraged to check their journeys on the ScotRail website, mobile app, or through social media channels as some train times may have changed.