Edinburgh Tram Service Starts

[Anderson]

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-27602618

Apparently, the Edinburgh tram line has been a saga that makes the DC delays look downright tame...though in Edinburgh's case, the drama was focused at the start of the project. Among other things, the SNP tried to kill the project but got shot down in trying to do so. So add yet another completed light rail-style system to the world.

 

[jis]

Finally! Looks like I might need to head off to Edinburgh for Thanksgiving this year.

There is hope that the latter phases which were canceled due to cost overrun will get resurrected once this limited system operates successfully for a while. Specially the extension from York Place to Newhaven (Leith Walk route) would cover a major bus corridor.

But the big news in Edinburgh from rail transport perspective still remains the reopening of the line to the Borders, and the reopening of the route to Glasgow via Bathgate. The latter is in service and the former is being worked on.

 

[trainman74]

How convenient -- I'm planning on visiting Scotland in September, and will have need of getting from the Edinburgh airport to the train station.

 

[cirdan]

There is hope that the latter phases which were canceled due to cost overrun will get resurrected once this limited system operates successfully for a while. Specially the extension from York Place to Newhaven (Leith Walk route) would cover a major bus corridor.

They would be silly not to do that, in view of the amount of preparation already done including the moving of sewers, pipes, cables and things.

I also think it would generate more ridership than the airport line. Leith Walk is a densely populated area whereas large chunks of the airport line are past green fields.

But Edinburgh politics doesn't always seem to be driven by common sense, sadly.