£eith Decides
Edinburgh Gateway Station
At The Queen’s Hall
Public Realm art in Grassmarket
Sports reports
Voting will open for the 2016 £eith Decides at the community event which will be held on 6 February 2016.
If you are over the age of 8 then you can vote on where local money for local projects will be spent. If you can’t make it along on the day you can vote in Leith Library or McDonald Road Library from 3pm 6 Feb until 5pm 16 February. You can also vote by post. Results will be announced at McDonald Road Library at 5.30 pm on 22 Feb.
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There is a new railway station under construction in the capital; in fact it is a tram/train interchange. Edinburgh Gateway Station is part of the Edinburgh to Glasgow improvement programme (EGIP) and will be completed by the end of this year.
The £41m station will allow passengers from Fife to get to the airport by changing onto the tram at Edinburgh Gateway. There will be two 265metre long platforms, 1500 square metres of walkway and concourse with a step free access bridge linking the platforms. Lifts and escalators will connect the tram stop to the rail areas.
An underpass will connect the station to the Gyle Centre.
The Scottish Government hope that this new station will be one part of future economic investment and activity in the capital.
Scottish Government Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: ““Seeing the progress on the Edinburgh Gateway rail/tram interchange is testimony to the hard work of all those involved to date.
“December 2016 marks a pivotal milestone in our £5 billion programme of investment in Scotland’s Railway and more specifically the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme. It will also mark the opening of the Edinburgh Gateway station which will provide connectivity for Fife line services and offer effective interchange between the Scottish rail network and Edinburgh Airport offering new journey opportunities to the airport, places of work and the surrounding business development area.”
In total £742million is being spent on railway infrastructure in the central belt in the EGIP programme. Key routes will be electrified and other facilities improved.
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At the Queen’s Hall this week:
In Scotland celebrating their fifth studio album launch, Cara have toured internationally since forming in 2003 and play innovative arrangements of material firmly rooted in the Irish and Scottish tradition alongside critically acclaimed original songs and tunes.
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A call has been put out for work from new artists to adorn the public realm areas in Grassmarket. There is also an indoor exhibition space in the Apex City of Edinburgh Hotel which has large windows to the Grassmarket, and an event space at Apex Grassmarket Hotel with the Edinburgh Castle backdrop.
Greater Grassmarket BID can help by providing logistical support with licensing, funding and site management.
Contact Callum Ross for more details.
Email callum@greatergrassmarket.co.uk
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In our Sports section we have dedicated writers who report on Hearts, Hibs and rugby. If you have another sport that you would like to cover for us then do get in touch!
John Preece’s photo today is from the Stewart’s-Melville match last weekend. The report is here.
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