Regular users of Edinburgh Waverley railway station have benefited from improved lighting in recent weeks, following the installation of 30 Prismashield luminaires from Holophane Lighting. The project involved the illumination of sections of the walkways that lead off the main ‘Waverley Steps' entrance and over the new escalators to the station concourse. Edinburgh Waverley railway station is owned and maintained by Network Rail, which is currently delivering an £150 million investment at the station and covers an area of over 25 acres (101,000 m˛) in the heart of the city. It is the second largest mainline railway station in the United Kingdom and with 23 million passengers a year is the second busiest railway station in Scotland, with only Glasgow Central handling more passengers. The station is located in a steep, narrow valley between the city's mediaeval Old Town and the 19th century New Town, with Princes Street, the city's premier shopping street, running along one side. Four extra platforms have recently been added by Network Rail to cope with increasing demand and to provide a better location of services.
Specified by Arup in South Queensferry, Edinburgh, Holophane's Prismashield luminaires were chosen for their asymmetric light control, which ensured that the installation achieved Network Rail's operational requirement to minimise light spill to ‘trackside'. Prismashield is a robust surface mounted luminaire with an ultra-slim profile of only 73mm that belies its ability to withstand impacts of up to 50 joules. Designed to withstand extreme acts of vandalism, the prismatic polycarbonate diffuser with internal prisms produces a precise symmetric or asymmetric light distribution resulting in the even, glare free illumination in which people feel safe and secure, particularly in arduous environments.
Tom Robertson, Arup Scotlands designer, commented "The requirement for robust, efficient and aesthetically pleasing light fittings was fulfilled in the choice of Holophane's Prismashield fittings. Other factors that played a role in the specification were the performance of the luminaire and the IP65 rating".
