THE number of rail passengers using Edinburgh Waverley station during the second weekend of August increased by eight per cent on last year.

Figures from the ScotRail Alliance show more than 384,000 people used the Edinburgh hub between August 11 and 13 as festival season got into full swing.

That was an eight per cent increase on the 355,000 people who used Waverley during the second weekend of the festivals in 2016. More than 340,000 people used the station during the first weekend of this year’s festivals.

Juliet Donnachie, station manager at Edinburgh Waverley, said: “Our station teams at Waverley and across the whole network are working flat out to get customers to and from Edinburgh hassle free.

“The festivals are a great advert for the city and the country as a whole and we are proud to play our part in making them a success.

“We know that our trains will continue to be very busy during the festivals, so we are encouraging all customers to plan their journeys in advance.”