A TRESPASSER on the tracks at Edinburgh Waverley train station triggered an operation by the British Transport Police (BTP).
At 3pm yesterday, Network Rail received a report from a train driver of a trespasser on the railway at Waverley Station.
The operator was forced to halt services in the east end of the station, causing short delays, before the BTP were able to respond to the incident and clear the railway.
Police officers located a 27-year-old woman and ushered her off the tracks to a place of safety, before she was arrested on suspicion of trespass.
Some trains were forced to delay their departure, but services were quickly resumed at 3:22pm.
Due to a speedy response from Network Rail and the BTP, there were no major delays at the station.
It is unconfirmed as yet how the woman was able to gain access to the tracks or why she was there.
No one was injured during the incident.
Network Rail initially posted an update to social media at the time, informing people of the incident.
Shortly afterwards, the operator issued a further update, saying that the woman had been removed, and thanking passengers for their patience if their journey was affected.
Simon Constable, operations director at Network Rail Scotland, said: “At 3:01pm yesterday (Tuesday, 16 September), we received a report from a train driver of a trespasser on the railway at Edinburgh Waverley station.
“Services at the east end of the station were halted for a short period to allow British Transport Police officers to locate and get the person to a place of safety away from the railway.
“We’re grateful to our police colleagues for their quick response, which allowed us to restart services at 3:22pm.
“We then worked with our train operators to get trains back on time ahead of the busy evening period. We thank passengers for their patience during this incident.”
A spokesperson for the British Transport Police today said: “We were called to Edinburgh Waverley station at around 3pm yesterday following reports of a person trespassing on the line.
“Officers attended and a 27-year-old woman was located and arrested on suspicion of trespass.”
Last year, Network Rail posted statistics saying that there were 2,692 incidents of people trespassing on Scotland’s railways in the 12 months leading up to April 2024.
This represented a notable increase on the previous year’s statistics.
Both Network Rail and the British Transport Police have stepped up campaigns in recent years to warn people of the consequences and risk to life of trespassing on railways.
