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First Images of Haymarket Railway Tunnels

Edinburgh Transport Interchange by BAM Ritchie: Underground Works

post updated 22 February 2025

Haymarket Tunnels Strengthening Revealed As Site Is Prepared for New Development

Contractors strengthening Edinburgh’s Haymarket railway tunnels in preparation for a major regeneration project have released the first images of the underground works.

Haymarket Tunnels Strengthening Revealed:

29 July 2014

First Images of Haymarket Railway Tunnels in Edinburgh

A team of up to 40 specialists is working through the night over 14 months to carry out the job, ensuring there is no disruption to rail services on one of Scotland’s busiest routes.

The site above the tunnels will be home to The Haymarket, a £200m development of retail, offices and hotels, with an underground car park being developed by Edinburgh Haymarket Developments Ltd, a joint venture between Interserve – the international support services and construction group – and Tiger Developments. It is one of Edinburgh’s biggest commercial projects of the last 10 years and is expected to create around 3,500 jobs.

Interserve Development Director, David Westwater said: “This work is the main challenge before we can begin construction above ground. It will be early next year before we can do that, but then people will soon start to see the development taking shape. After such a long time as a gap site, we’re very excited about what The Haymarket has to offer and how it will help to create a real gateway at Edinburgh’s west end.”

Angus MacGregor, BAM Ritchies’ Project Manager, said: “We are very well experienced in complex rail projects but every situation is unique, so we’ve had to develop a very specific approach for this work based on the skills and knowledge of our team. There are many constraints to working on this site, but we have made good progress so far thanks to the working relationship we have with our client and Network Rail.”

Gary Walker, Network Rail Asset Protection, said: “Clearly our priority is to ensure that the works are carried out safely and with no disruption to rail passengers on this extremely busy section of the network. We have worked closely with Edinburgh Haymarket Developments and BAM throughout the design process over the last 12 months and it is pleasing to see work being carried out as planned.”

The strengthening works will allow contractors to begin building the foundations for the development. This includes grouting between the tunnel lining and the surrounding ground, and drilling and inserting metal bars within the brick lining.

Currently, engineers are only able to work in the north tunnel from midnight till 5.00 am four nights per week and in the south tunnel from 1.00 am to 9.30 am for one night per week.

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Haymarket Masterplan Development

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Design: Aedas Architects with Halcrow

Haymarket Edinburgh Master Plan Design
Master Plan Design: Richard Murphy Architects
Richard Murphy Architects to be the masterplan architects for Tiger Developments, with CDA & Sutherland Hussey Architects

Haymarket Morrison Link – Former Car Park Site: Previous scheme
Design: Reiach and Hall Architects

EDI Project – images from Reiach and Hall Architects
Haymarket Morrison Link

Haymarket Edinburgh Development Proposal – Former Car Park Site: Competitive Proposal

images by pixelimage for Michael Laird Architects
Haymarket Edinburgh