Railway plans – New Hotel at Haymarket – Tyres in Granton – RSNO in China – Edinburgh band off to SXSW
Network Rail have published their plans for railways over the next five years. This includes plans to electrify the Glasgow to Edinburgh route via Falkirk High, and will allow for trains to run with eight carriages in peak periods. Good news for commuters perhaps. Network Rail also indicate that they are looking at a journey time of around 42-44 minutes and making improvements to Edinburgh Waverley which are ongoing. There will also be a new station at Edinburgh Gateway. We must confess that we do not know where this is. Any ideas?
Network Rail also confirm that the 35 mile route from Edinburgh to the Borders will be built with seven stations on the twice hourly service.
If you wish to read the full report then you will find it here.
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Fergus Ewing Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism was in Haymarket this morning opening Edinburgh’s newest hotel for the Malaysian hotel company, Tune. This hotel will offer rooms at a budget rate from £25 a night, but interestingly you have to pay for extras such as towels and hairdryers. The intention is to make staying away from home as affordable as possible. The Reporter was at the launch where one of the most prominent features is the tram works outside the building.
At the Leader’s Briefing yesterday Council Leader, Andrew Burns refused to be drawn on a 2013 date for completion of the tram project, preferring to stick to the party line that it will be running by summer 2014. Apparently trams are treated the same as trains and so need to comply with more regulations. It will be most convenient for people staying in the new hotel certainly! We will have a fuller report on the hotel opening soon.
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Edinburgh Spotlight have thrown their gaze on the tyres which have mysteriously appeared on Granton beach. You can see photographs on their website. Do you know anything about them? Do tell us if you do!
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Our Arts Editor David Kettle has been in China with the RSNO over the last ten days. He is now back and though suffering from jetlag has penned an article about his travels with the orchestra. It will be published just as soon as we get the photographs through!
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Formed in 2008 Edinburgh hip-hop trio Young Fathers are Alloysious Massaquoi, who is originally from Liberia, Kayus Bankole, who is Nigerian and ‘G’ Hastings, who hails from the Drylaw scheme in north Edinburgh and the band’s unique musical style reflects their diverse backgrounds. Last year they signed to the Anticon label, their first release for which was Tape One. www.young-fathers.com. This year they are being funded by Creative Scotland to go to South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas this March.
SXSW is one of the largest and most important events in the music industry calendar and recognised as providing an important platform for artists to develop their careers internationally.
Event organisers predict 19,000 music industry professionals including 3,000 media representatives and thousands of fans will attend music events taking place in venues across the city.
The View, Camera Obscura, Young Fathers, PAWS, Kassidy, Jackmaster and JD Twitch and JG Wilkes from Optimo will appear alongside other Scottish artists as part of two Scottish showcase concerts at the music festival.
Timothy London, manager of Young Fathers, said:
“The group’s attendance at SXSW is the ideal opportunity for them to present themselves and debut for US audiences and the American music business, who will be attending in force. Creative Scotland’s financial addition to the budget will prove to be hugely important in facilitating this visit.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
