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Powderhall track's unrealised potential

Dear Spurtle,
 
As a supporter of railways and routes being saved, I wondered if anyone had thought of the idea of the old Powderhall waste transfer station becoming a park and ride.
 
With a rail journey into Waverley and stops at Leith Walk and Easter Road. The curve at Abbeyhill Station would need to be reinstated to Waverley, and maybe also joined to another service/destination onwards to justify it running.
 
There would be environmental benefits of fewer cars and less car parking in the city centre.
 
Alternatively, it could connect to the trams as a branch off Leith Walk, but there might be problems with all the development at Shrub Hill if a curve down onto the line were implemented.
 
Saving it as a cycle/walkway would have its benefits, connecting to the rest of the network and with the advantage of the bridge over the Water of Leith as a missing link.
 
Just a few thoughts,
 
Ali Slater

Spurtle covered some of these issues most recently in Breaking news, 6.12.18.—Ed.