Transport minister Humza Yousaf visited Edinburgh Gateway yesterday to see engineers putting the finishing touches to the new £41 million station.

Construction staff have been on site at Gogar since January 2015 working on the new interchange, which will serve passengers from Fife and the north accessing Edinburgh airport and transferring onto the tram network.

With the main building work just days away from completion, the new station remains on track to open for passengers in December this year.

Being delivered by Balfour Beatty, Edinburgh Gateway will consist of two 265m, 10-car platforms and boast 1500m2 of concourse and circulation space. A step-free access bridge will link the platforms within the station and connect to the tram stop via lifts and escalators. An underpass beneath the A8 will provide pedestrian access from the nearby Gyle centre.

The station is part of the Scottish Government-funded Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), which is delivering a rolling programme of electrification across the central belt – reducing journey times and increasing capacity on routes by improving the infrastructure to enable faster, greener trains to run.

Mr Yousaf said: “I am pleased to visit Edinburgh Gateway station to see this exciting new rail/tram interchange taking shape.

“This £41m development is a great example of how the Scottish Government is investing to make public transport more accessible and attractive by linking up journeys across different modes travel.

“When it opens this new station will offer huge benefits to rail passengers travelling to or from the Gogar area, providing a convenient link between the tram network and Edinburgh Airport.”

Phil Verster, managing director of the ScotRail Alliance, said: “Our engineers have worked hard to deliver this project as quickly as possible for passengers. This new station will help to transform the way people travel, opening up new options for those wishing to access the tram network and Edinburgh Airport.”