Tram extension

[SHODAN]

When are the new stops at Leith Walk due to be ready? I've been driving straight in all season and just about done with it now, going through the city is horrendous.

Will be great to walk straight along after the game and go to Ingliston without having to trek up the whole Walk.

[Green Man]

They’re due to open spring 2023. We usually get the tram from Ingliston to York Place and walk down, but getting off halfway down the Walk will be brilliant.

[SHODAN]

They’re due to open spring 2023. We usually get the tram from Ingliston to York Place and walk down, but getting off halfway down the Walk will be brilliant.

Is York Place shut just now?

[gbhibby]

They’re due to open spring 2023. We usually get the tram from Ingliston to York Place and walk down, but getting off halfway down the Walk will be brilliant.
So it will be 2025 then😁

[.Sean.]

Took me half hour to get from opposite the Hibs club to bottom of Easter Road after the game on the 16

[Kato]

So it will be 2025 then😁

So it will be 2027 then😁

[Sir David Gray]

Is York Place shut just now?

The York Place stop is permanently closed according to this to allow the extension to take place.

Last stop is currently the West End.

https://edinburghtrams.com/news/trams-are-only-running-airport-west-end

[Logie Green]

A pedant would tell you it’s not an extension it’s a completion of what they made an erse of originally. 😜

There was something in the Evening News recently about a council meeting where someone let slip that work is expected to be complete by July 2023, which according to the worthies at the Council matches their stated aim of having it completed by ‘Spring 2023’. 🤷*♂️

Given that any time you go into the area it’s not exactly a hive of activity it’ll be a miracle if it’s finished by Spring or July 2023. It’s a complete shambles.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

They’re due to open spring 2023. We usually get the tram from Ingliston to York Place and walk down, but getting off halfway down the Walk will be brilliant.

Will be a great option for many travelling from the West of the city, and those who have revelled in calling the investment in transport infrastructure a 'disgrace', 'shambles' etc will need to move onto moaning about something else.

[Logie Green]

Will be a great option for many travelling from the West of the city, and those who have revelled in calling the investment in transport infrastructure a 'disgrace', 'shambles' etc will need to move onto moaning about something else.

I’m sure it will be a great option but anyone who thinks it’s value for money, been well managed and worth the disruption is misguided.

We’re still awaiting the report into the first batch of work. It’s taken longer to produce and will cost more than the report on the war in Iraq!

[IberianHibernian]

Will be a great option for many travelling from the West of the city, and those who have revelled in calling the investment in transport infrastructure a 'disgrace', 'shambles' etc will need to move onto moaning about something else.Yes and not just from west of Edinburgh . From Fife , Perth etc who leave cars near airport . Thinking only of sport , serving ER , Tynecastle and Murrayfield . Not sure if 13 bus still does or 34 / 35 which also served Powderhall and Meadowbank ( ? ) but no bus will cater for hundreds of fans travelling at the same time .

[HendoDelivered]

Leith is an absolute bomb site these days. Absolute mess.

[HibsIntl]

Took mates from England to hibs games.
In the summer they said the walk from Waverley to ER was the best walk to a ground in British football. We had some beers in glorious weather at Regent Road park with a view of the city, amazing.

In the cold, dark winters. **** me. Shocked we get more than 8k during the winter months.

[uwxm07]

So it will be 2025 then😁

Based on ferries ,parliaments and stuff it could be a while longer

[MrSmith]

We’ve been informed it’ll be ready by July 22. They are 6 months ahead of schedule and were due to complete early 23. However, it is Edinburgh Council so, will see.

[GreenCastle]

Supposedly their are issues with the current track and parts need replaced - hence why closed at West End. They are also moving York place tram stop a few 100 yards down opposite the Omni.

Think the new stops will be around McDonald Road and further down?

Been a nightmare for residents and businesses- such a shame as so many lost many / premises.

Leith walk was nice for a while once it reopened- hopefully once done it will settle the area down and make it a much better experience pre-match for many.

[AFKA5814_Hibs]

I'm sure it'll be nice when it's finished but at the moment it's a complete **** show. What a ****** mess Leith and the whole area around it is.

[Sas_The_Hibby]

We’ve been informed it’ll be ready by July 22. They are 6 months ahead of schedule and were due to complete early 23. However, it is Edinburgh Council so, will see.

I'm afraid you've been misinformed. There's absolutely no way it'll be ready for July 22.

It appears to be on target for a Spring 23 opening but a fair bit of track is still to be laid, quite apart from stops to be completed, road surfacing and landscaping to be finished, signalling to be installed and overhead line equipment to be put in place. Plus several months of test running trams on the route, driver route familiarisation and testing of systems.

[gbhibby]

I’m sure it will be a great option but anyone who thinks it’s value for money, been well managed and worth the disruption is misguided.

We’re still awaiting the report into the first batch of work. It’s taken longer to produce and will cost more than the report on the war in Iraq!
The conclusions of the report will fill one side of a sheet of A4 we don't need this waste of money spent on the inquiry as we all know what went wrong.

[vuefrom1875]

Leith is an absolute bomb site these days. Absolute mess.

Aye...tram works.. ken.😏

[inglisavhibs]

Yes and not just from west of Edinburgh . From Fife , Perth etc who leave cars near airport . Thinking only of sport , serving ER , Tynecastle and Murrayfield . Not sure if 13 bus still does or 34 / 35 which also served Powderhall and Meadowbank ( ? ) but no bus will cater for hundreds of fans travelling at the same time .

13 bus takes me door to door, only a few fans seem to know about it⚽️😜

[Billy McKirdy]

I’ve worked on the buses throughout the tram works from late 2007 to the present time.
It’s been a massive challenge for drivers and businesses and not least the public in Edinburgh.
The only way the tram is going to be profitable is by serving this three mile stretch through the most densely populated area in Scotland.
It’s a long way from being a network but it’s up and running and from what has been built the tram itself is up there with the best in the world.
I’m hoping to see it come to the south of the city one day.

[Zondervan]

2008.

That’s when they started digging up Leith Walk for a so-called “network” of trams.

Years later, we have nothing but a paralysed city and a half-built single tram line.

Anyone that thinks this has been money well spent needs their head examined.


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[gbhibby]

I’ve worked on the buses throughout the tram works from late 2007 to the present time.
It’s been a massive challenge for drivers and businesses and not least the public in Edinburgh.
The only way the tram is going to be profitable is by serving this three mile stretch through the most densely populated area in Scotland.
It’s a long way from being a network but it’s up and running and from what has been built the tram itself is up there with the best in the world.
I’m hoping to see it come to the south of the city one day.
The time it's taken to get to where we are now I hope you have a lot of patience. I remember reading that they should have run the tram through Corstorphine the Zoo to Haymarket otherwise it would not be profitable. Its no where near being up there with the best in the world.

[IberianHibernian]

2008.

That’s when they started digging up Leith Walk for a so-called “network” of trams.

Years later, we have nothing but a paralysed city and a half-built single tram line.

Anyone that thinks this has been money well spent needs their head examined.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThis is nothing to do with football so Holy Ground stuff but :
1. Is it single track from York Place to airport ? Hasn`t seemed like it when I`ve used it or seen it .

2. This thread was started with someone making positive comments about how useful future stops will be for games at ER . Other recent threads have mentioned using tram for going to matches at ER .

3. From my own personal experience and from what I`ve read / people I`ve spoken to , trams seem to add to quality of life in cities once working but during works cause terrible consequences . Edinburgh is no exception . Where I live in Spain , tramworks started at same time as those in Edinburgh but trams still aren`t running despite numerous trials etc though they will hopefully start this year ( using train lines on part of route ) . I`ve visited numerous cities in Europe in recent years which have trams which add to quality of life ( Montpellier , Lyon , Hanover , Seville , for example ) and from what I`ve seen Edinburgh has been a success too after inevitable problems during construction .

Definitely a topic for Holy Ground .

[Zondervan]

The time it's taken to get to where we are now I hope you have a lot of patience. I remember reading that they should have run the tram through Corstorphine the Zoo to Haymarket otherwise it would not be profitable. Its no where near being up there with the best in the world.

Exactly.

The current tram stops are too far from where the population is.

Pre-COVID though, the money and projected profits were being made from tourists who jumped on the tram, even although the established airport bus was cheaper and quicker.

As for a taxi ,groups of 3 or more to the city Centre works out even cheaper……!

Biggest white elephant ever.


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[WhileTheChief..]

Is it just going down Leith Walk or right the way to Ocean Terminal?

[Zambernardi1875]

Exactly.

The current tram stops are too far from where the population is.

Pre-COVID though, the money and projected profits were being made from tourists who jumped on the tram, even although the established airport bus was cheaper and quicker.

As for a taxi ,groups of 3 or more to the city Centre works out even cheaper……!

Biggest white elephant ever.


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How much is a taxi from the airport to omni centre ?

[Zondervan]

How much is a taxi from the airport to omni centre ?

Cheaper than a tram when shared between 6 passengers, that’s for sure. And you get the banter from the taxi driver.

And it is much quicker.


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[Scouse Hibee]

Supposedly their are issues with the current track and parts need replaced - hence why closed at West End. They are also moving York place tram stop a few 100 yards down opposite the Omni.

Think the new stops will be around McDonald Road and further down?

Been a nightmare for residents and businesses- such a shame as so many lost many / premises.

Leith walk was nice for a while once it reopened- hopefully once done it will settle the area down and make it a much better experience pre-match for many.

Nothing wrong with track, terminating at West End as it’s now the only cross over point in tracks now that York place is closed is what was published.

[Scouse Hibee]

Exactly.

The current tram stops are too far from where the population is.

Pre-COVID though, the money and projected profits were being made from tourists who jumped on the tram, even although the established airport bus was cheaper and quicker.

As for a taxi ,groups of 3 or more to the city Centre works out even cheaper……!

Biggest white elephant ever.


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Cheaper for a group of three in a taxi, no chance.

[J-C]

How much is a taxi from the airport to omni centre ?


About £25

[Big_Franck]

I've been getting the tram to work for years now and it's brilliant. It's much quicker than the same journey on the bus and the trams are much cleaner than the buses in my experience.

No doubt the project will be over budget and has been mismanaged but the end product is great.

For anyone wondering, the new trams stops will be:

Piccardy Place (replaces york place)
Leith Walk just before MacDonald Road
Balfour Street
Foot of the walk
The shore
Port of Leith
Ocean Terminal
Newhaven

And no, I don't work for Edinburgh Trams :greengrin

[Eyrie]

The trams are great if you're one of the fortunate few who live close enough to the tram line and have a destination close enough to the tram line.

The rest of us have watched escalating sums of money being wasted on a service limited to that fortunate few.

Imagine if we'd invested that money in more and environmentally friendly buses to service the entire city? None of the delays, none of the overspending and everyone would have benefitted.

[danhibees1875]

Imagine if we'd invested that money in more and environmentally friendly buses to service the entire city? None of the delays, none of the overspending and everyone would have benefitted.

I think at least some of the buses are electric now - they seem to have made progress on both fronts.

I imagine every bus will be electric by 2030.

[Green Reaper]

I still haven’t been on the tram, stay in southside and have had no reason to use. Will try it one day just to see what it’s like just for the novelty.

[gbhibby]

Only trams painted Green and White allowed after Pilrig Street tram stop.

[LaMotta]

Interesting thread and thanks to everyone for the updates, which are really helpful. The tram is a pleasant way to travel and I will start going to games that way more often when the Leith line completes.


The trams are great if you're one of the fortunate few who live close enough to the tram line and have a destination close enough to the tram line.

The rest of us have watched escalating sums of money being wasted on a service limited to that fortunate few.

Imagine if we'd invested that money in more and environmentally friendly buses to service the entire city? None of the delays, none of the overspending and everyone would have benefitted.


I think at least some of the buses are electric now - they seem to have made progress on both fronts.

I imagine every bus will be electric by 2030.

It does seem like Electric buses with their own lane running the same route as the tram would have done the same job for minimal cost and disruption.:cb

[Just Alf]

I still haven’t been on the tram, stay in southside and have had no reason to use. Will try it one day just to see what it’s like just for the novelty.I stay just off Calder Road and walk down to the stop at carricknowe, got off at York Place and walked to my work at Easter road... tram feels quicker and more 'enjoyable'* than the bus, when the weather's rubbish or there's been an accident it is always quicker... an incident involving the actual tram line excepted of course...

I really hope over the years we end up with a proper network that everyone has has an option to use. Might be a loooong time for you of course!


*not sure if enjoyable is the right word... maybe 'less disagreeable ' is closer, we are talking about journey to work after all!

[bringbackbenny]

Interesting thread and thanks to everyone for the updates, which are really helpful. The tram is a pleasant way to travel and I will start going to games that way more often when the Leith line completes.


It'll be great for me coming from Fife, train to Edinburgh Gateway then the tram to Balfour Street.

[ScottB]

The only viable thing it did was ferry people out to the Gyle for work, what with office traffic having taken something of a dip, it’s probably not doing well…

The bus is cheaper and quicker to the airport from Waverley, and there’s now buses from various bits of the suburbs direct there.

It was and continues to be an absolutely gigantic waste of money. The amount could have bought god knows how many buses and kept their prices lower.

As for trams to ER, I guess folk will be able to get off at Haymarket then walk from wherever the stop will be on the Walk, but I’d wager a bus would still be quicker and get you nearer!

[gbhibby]

It'll be great for me coming from Fife, train to Edinburgh Gateway then the tram to Balfour Street.
Quicker staying on the train to Waverley then walking from there.

[Iggy Pope]

A pedant would tell you it’s not an extension it’s a completion of what they made an erse of originally. 😜

There was something in the Evening News recently about a council meeting where someone let slip that work is expected to be complete by July 2023, which according to the worthies at the Council matches their stated aim of having it completed by ‘Spring 2023’. 🤷*♂️

Given that any time you go into the area it’s not exactly a hive of activity it’ll be a miracle if it’s finished by Spring or July 2023. It’s a complete shambles.

You want to try being a contractor on any council project. Time wasting cretins spending other people’s money.

[bringbackbenny]

Quicker staying on the train to Waverley then walking from there.

Maybe. Perhaps save it for going back uphill then!

[Logie Green]

You want to try being a contractor on any council project. Time wasting cretins spending other people’s money.

That was my point.

[gbhibby]

Maybe. Perhaps save it for going back uphill then!

Just think of the carbon footprint. Not been on the tram for a while have they updated the ticketing arrangements?

[Iggy Pope]

That was my point.

Are you one of those contractors Logie?

[Just Alf]

Just think of the carbon footprint. Not been on the tram for a while have they updated the ticketing arrangements?Ticketing is my one bug bear... the contactless tap tap is brilliant on the buses, but use a tram for one of your journeys and its all skooshed :-(

[J-C]

You want to try being a contractor on any council project. Time wasting cretins spending other people’s money.


:agree::top marks

[davhibby]

Exactly.

The current tram stops are too far from where the population is.

Pre-COVID though, the money and projected profits were being made from tourists who jumped on the tram, even although the established airport bus was cheaper and quicker.

As for a taxi ,groups of 3 or more to the city Centre works out even cheaper……!

Biggest white elephant ever.


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We’ve been parking at Murrayfield and taking the tram to York Place for the games this season and pretty much every week the trams are busy with people standing in both directions. They’ve been better used than they expected when the line was built.

Once the line is in use down Leith walk next year they’ll be great for getting to the games and will drop you off right outside a good number of pubs that are good for a pint before games as well.

[Logie Green]

Are you one of those contractors Logie?

No, not my line of work.

However back in the day when they were 'working' on the part they've completed to York Place I sometimes used to walk along Princes Street. From the lack of activity and seeing how many 'workmen' seemed to stand around doing very little I can understand why it overran on budget and timescale. From what I've seen at times the same situation is happening on Leith Walk.

I think we're agreeing on the gross waste of public money and lack of urgency but perhaps we're saying the same thing differently?

[He's here!]

The trams are great if you're one of the fortunate few who live close enough to the tram line and have a destination close enough to the tram line.

The rest of us have watched escalating sums of money being wasted on a service limited to that fortunate few.

Imagine if we'd invested that money in more and environmentally friendly buses to service the entire city? None of the delays, none of the overspending and everyone would have benefitted.

Spot on. To use a tram I'd need to take a 20 minute bus journey first. I can get to ER direct by bus so there would be no need to use the tram even when the extension finally opens.

I'd also like to have seen some suburban railway lines re-opened instead. When I lived in Glasgow they were great for getting around the city and beyond.

[Billy Whizz]

Spot on. To use a tram I'd need to tske a 20 minute bus journey first. I can get to ER direct by bus so there would be no need to use the tram even when the extension finally opens.

I'd also like to have seen some suburban railway lines re-opened instead. When I lived in Glasgow they were great for getting around the city and beyond.

I agree with the last paragraph, must be quite a few around
Still don’t understand why we don’t have a rail link from the airport, would be so much quicker

[Mcbizz1998]

As a resident of Leith I’m pretty buzzing about the trams being done. Firstly to get rid of all the road works but also will be ideal for getting into town and to Murrayfield. Pain the hoop whilst the work continues though.


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[Dashing Bob S]

I personally love the trams and would like to see the network extend further. I’d also like more cycle lanes and pedestrian areas.

Choking a medieval city with even more cars and buses isn’t the answer unless we want to promote heart disease and obesity.

[.Sean.]

The trams are a complete and utter waste of money and they’ve been an inconvenience for far too long. I actually live about a minute from where they’ll eventually terminate at Newhaven and even I don’t see the point. Edinburgh’s bus network is more than adequate, I can get about four buses into town and never more than a ten minute wait for any them. They could’ve replaced every Lothian bus with an electric one ten times over with the money they’ve wasted on the trams

[J-C]

I agree with the last paragraph, must be quite a few around
Still don’t understand why we don’t have a rail link from the airport, would be so much quicker


It was a suggestion and looked into originally, to take a spur line off the northern line at Gogarburn but Jack McConnell and Iain Gray in their wisdom at the time ignored it and went for the vastly more expensive tram system as they wanted Edinburgh to be like all other major cities in Europe and have a tram line. It was a ridiculous decision to go with the tram and the chaos/expense that came with it proved to be the wrong choice. Double the price and twice as long to build and still making losses every year since it got up and running, the decision to extend the line is another total waste of our money, as is the new Roseburn to Leith cycleway costing a ludicrous £12M.

[Just Alf]

It was a suggestion and looked into originally, to take a spur line off the northern line at Gogarburn but Jack McConnell and Iain Gray in their wisdom at the time ignored it and went for the vastly more expensive tram system as they wanted Edinburgh to be like all other major cities in Europe and have a tram line. It was a ridiculous decision to go with the tram and the chaos/expense that came with it proved to be the wrong choice. Double the price and twice as long to build and still making losses every year since it got up and running, the decision to extend the line is another total waste of our money, as is the new Roseburn to Leith cycleway costing a ludicrous £12M.I sort of agree, the airport into town should really have been a short train link extension into the existing network... that would have left more of the 'tram funds' for them to extend elsewhere.

[FRes Hibbie]

I think ultimately trams to Newhaven will be better than no trams to Newhaven. The amount of money and time that’s been wasted and their lack of convenience for so many people that actually live in Edinburgh is a disgrace though.

[greenginger]

I think ultimately trams to Newhaven will be better than no trams to Newhaven. The amount of money and time that’s been wasted and their lack of convenience for so many people that actually live in Edinburgh is a disgrace though.

Im sure there will be a lot more passengers using the trams from Leith to city centre than coming in from the west.

They might even break even one day!