HAYMARKET Station is to undergo a £600,000 revamp to improve access to its platforms ahead of its multi-million redevelopment.

Passengers currently have no choice but to clamber up steep flights of stairs to reach street level at the West End station.

But transport chiefs have announced plans to install lifts to platforms two, three and four, as well as refurbishing surfaces on the footbridge.

The lifts will be incorporated into the wider £190 million redevelopment of the station unveiled last week.

It is thought construction on the new lifts will begin next year, but the work has to be completed by 2011 as part of First ScotRail's franchise commitment for running Scotland's railways.

Automatic doors will also be installed at the entrance to the 164-year-old station.

Disability groups today welcomed the investment, claiming Haymarket is a virtual no-go area for people with disabilities.

David Griffiths, chief executive of Ecas, a city-based support group for people with disabilities, said: "Haymarket is terribly difficult for people with mobility impairments.

"This investment is long- overdue and I am glad to see some serious signs of action.

"There have been a lot of improvements at Waverley in recent years, but Edinburgh needs two good quality railway stations which have decent access for everyone."

The wider redevelopment plans for Haymarket would see it almost treble in size and incorporate offices, shops and homes.

Controversial moves to demolish the grade A-listed station and neighbouring Ryries Bar to make way for the transport interchange have been abandoned in favour of developing around them.

There will be a space in front of the station for the monument to Edinburgh's footballers killed in the First World War, currently next to The Haymarket Bar.

The revamp currently has no funding, but the masterplan has now been passed to Transport Scotland, which will consider the proposals as part of its wider review of transport across Scotland, due to report this summer.

A spokeswoman for Transport Scotland said: "By 2011, First ScotRail is required under the franchise to improve disabled access at Haymarket Station.

"Feasibility and design work has been taken forward on options to improve accessibility, capacity and station facilities. Passenger flow modelling is about to be undertaken to ensure expected capacity needs are met."

Passenger numbers at Haymarket are expected to double to nine million per year over the next two decades.

A First ScotRail spokesperson said: "This project, which will be carried out as part of our original £40m investment fund, will deliver accessibility improvements and additional facilities for our customers.

"Over and above this, we have carried out a further feasibility study which looked at a number of options for what would effectively be a new transport interchange.

"We are seeking partnership funding as the cost of these facilities, designed to meet future requirements of public transport users, exceed the funding we have available."

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