Edinburgh Waverley station needs me.

[TallOrLong]

Here are the facts:

• I go to many train stations, I never ever get confused elsewhere.
• I never go to Waverley without walking round in a big loop in a state of confusion.
• From observation I am not the only one.

I am prepared to provide executive advice. Payment terms are a baguette from upper crust, a bag of percy pigs from M&S and some scottish fudge from, well, somewhere that sells good fudge.

This is not actually an AIBU, because I am not being unreasonable. I am on a train leaving Edinburgh having finally found my platform. See you next time for the same fun again Waverley!

Ah, I see.
Well, all I can offer here is good luck and safe travels …
actually ignore me, I entirely misread this.

Shout out must good Leeds station that I used several times recently. I very rarely get train travel and I don’t think ever on my own as it’s usually for leisure with someone else. This time was for work and under time pressures.
I don’t know who decided on those platform numbers across the glass bridge but they deserve a knighthood. They’re in font size 35872, can actually see them down the road. It’s the future of railway, fooking massive number signs

I pass through Waverly most days. My favourite of the tricks is....

They tell you a platform number, and you arrive to find a train. But that is not your train. Somewhere in very small print, there is an announcement that says "top two carriages only". You go to the top two carriages only. That is not your train. You are required to wait and enjoy the view in the cold. It is a test. A test of nerves. Will you crack and wander off the check and get lost back in the Waverly voretx? Maybe you could go and find a gin and tonic to help you cope? That is also a test. If you got one, you fail. You can not have a gin and tonic on scotrail it is banned. If you pass the tests, a train will arrive 1 minute before your train departs. An entirely new train arrives. This is your train, and you must then compete with several hundred lucky train test pass holders who are understandably cold and stressed to be awarded a prize of a seat. Hallelujah. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the 17:38 to Perth.

@EvenTypingIsComplicatedNow great post - really funny- thank you !
not to be all 'elevenerife' but ...
can I raise you the time I was trying to access the sleeper train (diff plat to usual, no signage, not allowed to board 'early' that night - ie until 5m before departure: I've used it many many times & you can always board up to 30min before dep..)
That night there was an especially sanctimonious staff member who would not let me through the barriers by showing my ticket as I had to 'put it through the barriers'. I said 'it's a sleeper ticker on my phone I can't do that'. She said: (I kid you not): "you won't learn if you never try". I am on double crutches. By the time it was sorted (no other staff near) the train had left without me. And, of course, noone available to speak to & all local trains returning home has already left.

I did my trip the next month. New rolling stock. The corridor is now so narrow that you cannot pass down it on double crutches. I have NO idea how that was passed through health and safety. I can no longer take the sleeper train.

God that's incredibly shit, @siliconcover .

Both the staff member and the redesign. I'm so sorry to read of that.

I haven't been on the sleeper recently, but I can say that in previous and presumably current designs there is a wide-access sleeper-compartment which is sufficiently roomy for wheelchair access. You go from train door through a wider corridor area past the accessible loo to the accessible compartment.

If you haven't abandoned the service in disgust at how it's treated you (and I wouldn't blame you if you had), then perhaps that might be a possibility? I don't know if the "accessible" spaces are wide enough for your crutches.

It does mean you get woken all night by anyone using the loo, of course, but I guess that's true of the loo-adjacent compartments in every carriage. And of course you won't be able to move along the train to the buffet.

@siliconcover That's horrendous!

That is just awful. It is all so unreasonable.

@TressiliansStoneThank you that's really helpful. I used to travel on a 'seated sleeper' tkt as I couldn't afford the rooms. It's not at all comfortable but they now have wee lockers for your purse/phone so it's more secure than it used to be, kipping down in a carriage full of strangers. I just checked & they have a seat & wheelchair space avail on 3rd Dec for £55 which is a total bargain. End of carriage, near loo, so it's accessible too. In theory you can order coffee / sandwich at seat so don't need to go along 'squeezegut' room carriage corridor. But I don’t think I could book it as I don't use a wheelchair? I hope young tkt clerk that day never ends up with mobility difficulties as it's not so easy.

In general I like Waverley but it IS confusing.

I love Waverley, was there on Tuesday, didn't find it remotely confusing, the signs, arrows etc were perfectly clear to me.
My only complaint is the unbelievably extortionate prices charged in WH Smiths for a packet of sweets - daylight robbery, no wonder they are going down the pan.

I expect that you will indeed be able to book the accessible seat!

They've never asked me for proof of wheelchair or disability – and indeed on some occasions I have a folding mobility scooter and walk a few paces.

In my experience, one of the reasons they now call these accommodations "accessible" seats & compartments & loos is because the penny has dropped that not everyone who needs them uses a wheelchair.

I'm sure you're an old hand at this, but if you need to describe your needs when booking I'd say something like "I'll need the accessible seat please. I don't need a ramp to board thanks, but I'm a double crutches user and need the access."

Of course one can never predict when one will encounter some dreadful piece of work like the staffer who made you miss your train, but they'll find a way to ruin your life whatever.

Oh, and if appropriate you can quite correctly add, "I did use to be able to squeeze along your corridors. But since you've narrowed them, not so much."

I would guess that the addition of the specific wide-access accommodation is why they were permitted the H&S issue of narrowing the corridorrs.

I’ve lived away from the area for over 30 years now but am loving this thread, so nostalgic !
Platform 18 was “my” usual platform, going home to Dunfermline after a day/night out in Edinburgh. No one who didn’t already know where it was stood any chance of finding it.

Are the Talisman bar and superloos still there?

has @MinnieMountain made the train?!? 🚇

And pertinently, if so - was it the right one 😆

I should add that as a wheelchair user I would absolutely not be put out at finding you in an accessible space, @siliconcover .

In fact they're usually full of luggage and gigantic buggies which the owner doesn't want to fold but has no idea how to park.

There are sometimes a few of us cronks gathered in the accessible area, and we're generally very experienced at shuffling ourselves round to make sure everyone's different needs are met. "Oh I'm fine to move to the double ordinary seat for three stops, I just need my feet raised; you can have the floor area for the wheelchair and your guide dog; and the elderly chap I saw coming in the station wheelchair will need that supportive seat nearest the door."

The accessible space is definitely your space! You need it! So please feel free to use it!

YANBU!

I got horribly lost trying to find the Ladies loo, and then the correct platform for my connecting train to Glasgow. It's like a maze in there.

I have leaned the lesson never to change trains at Waverley since we had a very stressful trip down to York with exactly 10 minutes between trains - which were of course the long distance platforms at either side. As we were not Usain Bolt and laden with luggage we missed the connection, station staff were lovely and put us on the next one no extra charge but the stress was unbelievable. Allow at least half an hour to change trains, more in festival times...

Loving this thread. I grew up in Edinburgh but sadly don't live there now although I go back to visit often.

My DH and DC think I'm ridiculous because whenever we get a train anywhere (live in France now) I always want to get to the station early. Now I know why! It's because Waverley is my station of reference and I expect them all to be like that 🤣

I too remember the good old days when you could drive down the ramp into the station.

I love people's reactions when they come up the main ramp and arrive in the splendid glory that is Edinburgh city centre.

Last time I was in Waverly I was meeting a friend arriving on a train from Glasgow. Can't remember now which platform she arrived on but there was a comical moment when we could see and practically touch each other but couldn't figure out how to actually get to each other. Twas a classic Waverley moment.

Posting as I head to Waverley. Just in case I'm never seen again.

You, madam, are a genius! I use Waverley on average once a month these days. Pre-pandemic it was once a week. I never ever got the platforms organised in my head as to their order.
You're right - clockwise they go - explaining why platforms 1 and 20 are at opposite ends of the same long platform!

I think k this should go into 'Classics'. Anyone want to Second me ?

Did you make it out alive?

We’re going the last weekend of October. I’ll report back if I make it out.

Will you try to rescue @Hedjwitchwhile you are there?!

🎵🎶🎵 “but I can’t go back there “ 🎵🎶🎵