How will you be travelling to Edinburgh? - Have you considered the train?

Congress blog

14 March, 2024

We are so excited to be returning to the wonderful city of Edinburgh for this years’ International Congress which will be held in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) from Monday 17 – Thursday 20 June 2024. With excellent transport links, getting to the EICC from overseas or within the UK has never been easier.

In line with the College’s position on sustainability we would like to encourage our delegates to think about the environmental impact on their travel. Where possible we are inviting all delegates to travel by train (We do appreciate that this is not always possible - especially for our international delegates).

Edinburgh has two railway stations:

Waverley Station, which is 1.3 miles from EICC, is the city's main railway station and has direct routes to many cities across the country, including over 25 daily departures from London. There are several buses that will take you within walking distance from Waverley Station to the EICC. Please check Lothian Buses for local bus services throughout Edinburgh
Haymarket Station, which is just 0.4 miles from EICC, is a stop for many commuter and some UK train routes. The number 2 bus will take you within a 2 minute walk of the EICC from Haymarket Station.

Please ensure that you check with your rail network provider to find out if your train will stop at Haymarket or Waverley.

Still not sure train travel is for you? Keep reading for our top five reasons why you should take the train to Edinburgh this summer.

Join the fight against climate change

Travel emissions can be reduced by as much as 95% per passenger when switching from flight to train. Aviation accounts for around 2.5% of global carbon emissions and is now one of the fastest growing contributors to climate change. Of all the things we humans do, flying is the most carbon intense activity per minute.

Travel from centre to centre

Train travel is often regarded as a more time-consuming method of transport, particularly in comparison with air travel, but many of us often forget to account for the time taken to reach the airport! Take the rail journey from London to Edinburgh as an example: it takes just over 4 hrs! As does the journey from Birmingham and it is an impressive 2 hrs 30 minutes from York! If you add in travel to and from the airport, flying isn’t any faster than taking the train.

Embrace the (sometimes) added journey time

Although taking the train is often not as time consuming as flying, we'd encourage you to make the most of the opportunity and switch off from the outside world. We all know the well-being benefits from having some away from your computer, so why not use your train journey as a wonderful excuse to wind down. Unlike plane travel there is also the chance to stretch your legs on your way to the food cart, all whilst taking in the beautiful countryside you’re travelling through too!

Not one for switching off? Take advantage of the train amenities

Unlike air travel, a train journey provides opportunities for making calls, responding to emails and having meetings whilst in transit. No flight-mode, just reliable mobile phone coverage and almost all modern trains now have plug-sockets at your seat.

Save money

If you want to secure some cheap train tickets to Edinburgh, there are several convenient methods you can make use of. Why not consider? :

Getting a Railcard: Save up to 1/3 for a whole year
Book tickets in advance: Scotrail, LNER, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and TransPennine Express usually release tickets 12 weeks in advance
Travel Off-Peak: Tickets are usually cheaper during quieter times on weekdays and weekends

The EICC has teamed up with You.Smart.Thing to help you plan your journey in the most sustainable way possible. If you are unable to travel by train you can find out more about other sustainable options on their website - How to get to Edinburgh | EICC

You may also wish to explore our venue guide, which provides more detailed information on the different options available to get to the EICC.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Blog Author

Congress team

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