Festival travel made easy with ScotRail's enhanced timetable

29th July 2025

ScotRail is reminding customers that additional carriages and late-night trains will be in operation from Thursday, 1 August.

The train operator is enhancing its timetable between 1-25 August to help thousands of people travel to and from the capital during this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival.

With the city getting ready to welcome two of the world’s biggest cultural celebrations, festivalgoers can look forward to more seats on trains and more services on key routes throughout the month.

Whether it’s heading to a matinee performance or catching a late-night comedy gig, ScotRail’s additional trains are designed to give customers more flexibility when planning their journey.

Highlights of the enhanced festival timetable include:

Extra late-night trains between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street, departing at 00.03 and 00.33 every night via Falkirk High, plus additional departures at 23.30 via Falkirk High and 00.12 via Bathgate on Fridays and Saturdays.
A late-night Friday train to Glenrothes with Thornton via Dunfermline, departing Edinburgh at 23.59.
A Friday late-night service to Dundee, departing at 23.56.
A Sunday late-night service to North Berwick, departing Edinburgh at 23.24.
Special services from North Berwick to Edinburgh Waverley after midnight, from Friday, 1 August to Sunday, 10 August, supporting those attending Fringe by the Sea.
The train operator will also use extra carriages on routes connecting Edinburgh with Stirling, Dunblane, Dundee, Leven, Perth, Glenrothes with Thornton, Cowdenbeath, Bathgate, Glasgow Central via Shotts, and Tweedbank.

Customers are encouraged to plan their journey in advance, allow extra time for travel, and buy tickets before boarding from ScotRail app, website, a self-service ticket machine, or from a ticket office.

More travel information is available at scotrail.co.uk/edfests

Mark Ilderton, ScotRail Service Delivery Director, said:

"With the festivals just around the corner, we’re getting ready to welcome thousands of people to the capital.

“Our longer trains and extra late-night services will help make it easier to enjoy everything the Edinburgh festivals have to offer, from the first show of the day to the last act of the night."