http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: Tram latest en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:38:37 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383879 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:56:00 +0000 chdot 383879@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>THE first section of Birmingham's eastern tram extension belatedly opened on Easter Sunday. Tracks at the far end are already in place but the central section is blocked by HS2 Ltd, which is slowly building an oversized station there.</p> <p>Last month groups including the RAC Foundation and Create Streets released a report called Towns and Trams: Learning from the French. French leaders had told them France opens a new tramway every six months, costing an average £35m per mile. Birmingham's extension, one mile long, is budgeted to cost £352m.</p> <p>The report said all but two French towns and cities with more than 150,000 people have trams (versus eight of 53 in the UK) and that was one reason France builds the 300,000 homes annually Britain can only aspire to. It urged the UK to streamline "elongated British business case processes" for trams, end "gold plating", and overhaul policies on utility cables and pipes under future tramlines. The government has promised to create a taskforce which will assess the benefits of "mass transit" systems and the "delivery barriers"</p> <p>'Dr B Ching'</p> <p>“</p> <p>(Private Eye)</p> <p>…</p> <p><a href="https://www.createstreets.com/projects/towns-and-trams-what-britain-can-learn-from-frances-tram-led-housing-model/" rel="nofollow">https://www.createstreets.com/projects/towns-and-trams-what-britain-can-learn-from-frances-tram-led-housing-model/</a></p> <p><a href="https://bettertransport.org.uk/blog/towns-and-trams-learning-from-the-french/" rel="nofollow">https://bettertransport.org.uk/blog/towns-and-trams-learning-from-the-french/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383844 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 13:25:23 +0000 Yodhrin 383844@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Like you say it's all pie in the sky at the end of the day, the SNP at national level are far too carbrained and tightfisted when it comes to non-car infrastructure. Hell they can't even manage to produce a steady, dependable stream of funding for active travel projects and those are cheap as chips.</p> <p>The party has just been such a disappointment all around in recent years, and I dread to think what kind of state they'll be in after all the Alba people pile back in as they seem to be talking themselves into doing. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383843 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:54:35 +0000 chdot 383843@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“if you oppose the Granton spur of the tram just have the guts to say so“</p> <p>That’s valid!</p> <p>I don’t think CEC’s SNP Group has handled this particularly well, but it’s ’all about the election’ - attracting more votes without losing others. </p> <p>The LD’s were bolder (and perhaps more cynical) being early opponents of the RC route. I presume they were/are in favour of the Dean Bridge option?</p> <p>The <em>other</em> Granton option used to be an extension from Newhaven (intended to be part of a loop up RC). I <em>think</em> the problem was land ownership, but, if so, don’t know why. </p> <p>The latest ‘plan’ by SNP Group is to favour the ‘idea’ of the route to the RIE and bits of Lothian. </p> <p>In transport/traffic terms this seems like a sensible idea <em>and</em> (more) likely to get SG cash. </p> <p>But, SG. Is unlikely to have spare cash, or have trams high on its list of priorities in the near/medium future. </p> <p>I’m not against trams but have little confidence that anything can be planned, funded or constructed ’well here’. </p> <p>This is definitely an Edinburgh problem but also UK (and Scotland) problem related to political and public attitudes to public transport, roads and ‘universal’ car use. </p> <p>Wars, oil price ‘shocks’, increasing obviousness of climate change/emergency/catastrophes don’t seem to make any difference… </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383841 Sat, 11 Apr 2026 09:58:18 +0000 Yodhrin 383841@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>What solution do they propose then? Because if you want a route that goes from Granton to the city centre, especially one that links up with the existing line in a functional way, I'm not seeing many alternatives on the map. I suppose you could cut West and run through Blackhall and Ravelston, I'm sure Mary Erskin, the Ravelston Golf Club, and all the well-heeled locals won't have an issue with the Dykes being filtered to ram a mass transit system going through one of the most deprived bits of the city before it reaches them into their neighbourhood...</p> <p>Any further West and you can't really view it as an express north-south route into the town anymore. And Eastward hardly improves your options: either a bottleneck at the busiest part of Ferry Road to get you to Fettes, then open warfare with the Cockburn Society at all the cobbles you'd have to rip out to get it up Comely Bank Ave. there to face another bottleneck thanks to the hairpin turns at Learmonth Terrace. You could run up Granton Road and go via Inverleith Row, but that has two successive big traffic bottlenecks as each road meets Ferry Road.</p> <p>Between Swinney's gormless warblings about "energy security"(as if every drop of oil &amp; gas that still comes out of the North Sea doesn't immediately get flogged on the open market at the same elevated price as fuel from anywhere else does) and this kind of rhetorical cowardice(if you oppose the Granton spur of the tram just have the guts to say so, rather than claiming you're open to an alternative solution that geographically cannot sodding exist) I'm going to have to use a spring-loaded peg on my nose to vote for the SNP on the constituency ballot this time. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383828 Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:21:24 +0000 chdot 383828@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Edinburgh's SNP group has today said it would back a North-South tramline for the Capital, but did not believe either of the options for the northern section – Roseburn Path or Orchard Brae – offered the right solution. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-north-south-tramline-snp-says-build-line-to-infirmary-first-and-find-a-new-route-to-granton-6565804" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-north-south-tramline-snp-says-build-line-to-infirmary-first-and-find-a-new-route-to-granton-6565804</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383756 Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:49:00 +0000 chdot 383756@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>(More history than “latest”!)</p> <p>“</p> <p>You probably think I am talking about Edinburgh Trams but you’d be wrong. No, somewhat remarkably there was a direct predecessor to that latter horror show which also managed to get almost everything wrong in and from which important lessons should have been (but never were) learned. What we’re actually talking about is the convoluted, calamitous and remarkably recent history of CERT, the City of Edinburgh Rapid Transit guided busway. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://threadinburgh.scot/2026/04/01/dead-cert-the-thread-about-edinburghs-disastrous-dalliances-with-guided-busways/" rel="nofollow">https://threadinburgh.scot/2026/04/01/dead-cert-the-thread-about-edinburghs-disastrous-dalliances-with-guided-busways/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383703 Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:07:58 +0000 chdot 383703@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>“Transport is absolutely key in tackling both the population growth question and the economic growth question... Making the choice of taking the tram North out to Granton is about flattening that curve a little bit and investing in an area of the city which…. there are parts of the city, which I know because I speak to people all the time, that feel that they’ve been left behind.” </p> <p>Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, convenor of the Transport and Environment Committee.</p> <p>“</p> <p> <a href="https://www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk/p/why-citys-2bn-tram-plan-is-about?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk/p/why-citys-2bn-tram-plan-is-about?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383036 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:56:59 +0000 neddie 383036@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Looks like they're coming for the Powerhall line / Quiet route 20 </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383035 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 14:21:26 +0000 gembo 383035@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>More of a conceptual representation a la Simon Parker than a plan</p> <p>On checking on Simon I see there is also a different fellow Bike Scot who blogged through Covid as Edinburgh Life. [lot of themes familiar to this site] </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-383033 Fri, 30 Jan 2026 13:11:36 +0000 bakky 383033@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Plans for third Edinburgh tram line on south suburban railway unveiled by council</p> <p><a href="https://archive.ph/bVGzM#selection-571.0-571.81" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/bVGzM#selection-571.0-571.81</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382560 Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:49:21 +0000 LaidBack 382560@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><blockquote>Unusually for a rich country, the taxes raised in Greater Manchester, just as in other city regions such as West Yorkshire, Merseyside and the West Midlands, do not meet the cost of providing local public services. Taxes raised in the south-east of England cover the gap.</blockquote><br /> Possibly not attributed correctly? Tax system credits the HQs of companies which are invariably in South East. Scotland suffers from this problem as well. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382556 Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:35:13 +0000 chdot 382556@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/23/transport-west-yorkshire-tram-network-delayed-leeds-bradford" rel="nofollow">https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/23/transport-west-yorkshire-tram-network-delayed-leeds-bradford</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382370 Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:25:04 +0000 chdot 382370@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/traffic-and-travel/free-edinburgh-trams-return-this-hogmanay-to-get-you-home-from-celebrations-in-city-centre-5432624" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/traffic-and-travel/free-edinburgh-trams-return-this-hogmanay-to-get-you-home-from-celebrations-in-city-centre-5432624</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382263 Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:07:12 +0000 chdot 382263@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://archive.ph/2025.12.01-062752/https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/25648819.cyclists-fear-dangers-new-edinburgh-tram-route/" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/2025.12.01-062752/https://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/25648819.cyclists-fear-dangers-new-edinburgh-tram-route/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382191 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:44:39 +0000 neddie 382191@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>If we're going to dream, we could have a network of "suburbans" (trolley cars), like they used to in the US, upgraded to tram / light-rail...</p> <p>...that would take in all of the commuter belt towns between and around Edinburgh and Glasgow. If they did it in 1925, they can shurely* do it in 2025.</p> <p>*Momentarily forgetting that Britain is completely bogged down in a quagmire of bureaucracy </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382190 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:39:03 +0000 chdot 382190@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>From link</p> <p>“</p> <p>And the reply was: "The Scottish Government has no plans to fund a stand alone extension of Edinburgh’s tram network or directly fund the business case work required to demonstrate the case. Tram is a local priority which was identified by City of Edinburgh Council (CEC), who have solely progressed the business case for and extension to the current tram network.</p> <p>“</p> <p>Which <em>could</em> be read as - ‘not a chance of funding the Granton Branch, but we <em>might</em> consider a line from Mid/ELothian (of course CEC would have to guarantee it would just stop at its border.)’</p> <p>Sounds like Transport Scotland should become responsible for the whole thing IF it is to happen. </p> <p>Or at least building/maintaining the track - like it does for significant roads. </p> <p>Perhaps ScotRail could take an interest along with looking at options for the South Sub.</p> <p>Well u gotta dream… </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=75#post-382188 Thu, 27 Nov 2025 12:11:07 +0000 neddie 382188@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Edinburgh North-South tramline: Scottish Government's new comments on funding controversial project</p> <p>Spoiler: The Scottish Government has said it has "no plans to fund a stand alone extension of Edinburgh's tram network", but also "a bit of a fudge" which left open the door to funding of the line as part of a regional project</p> <p><a href="https://archive.ph/qtKwz" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/qtKwz</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382180 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:13:22 +0000 neddie 382180@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Imagine the junk food wrapper litter along the track either side! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382175 Wed, 26 Nov 2025 12:57:56 +0000 spytfyre 382175@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@neddie Tram-thru - they will make all the windows openable. Will add to the journey time considerably </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382151 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:33:26 +0000 neddie 382151@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Would be good if they got rid of the drive-thru junk food outlets as well </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382149 Mon, 24 Nov 2025 14:45:41 +0000 chdot 382149@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2025/11/cameron-toll-to-be-made-tram-ready/" rel="nofollow">https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2025/11/cameron-toll-to-be-made-tram-ready/</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382084 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 21:11:43 +0000 chdot 382084@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="https://archive.ph/2025.11.19-200222/https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-north-south-tram-line-plans-trigger-mammoth-11425-responses-as-consultation-closes-5409613" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/2025.11.19-200222/https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/edinburgh-north-south-tram-line-plans-trigger-mammoth-11425-responses-as-consultation-closes-5409613</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382069 Wed, 19 Nov 2025 10:20:00 +0000 chdot 382069@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=60950&amp;ref=edinburghminute.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.britishtramsonline.co.uk/news/?p=60950&amp;ref=edinburghminute.com</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382051 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:29:46 +0000 chdot 382051@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Yeah but (if CEC ‘wins’ any of it) it would be money <em>in </em>- though not enough to build more line(s)</p> <p><em>If</em> CEC gets <em>any</em> money, will SG ask for some of it?</p> <p>Certainly I’m sure people interested in housing, education, potholes etc will expect some ‘compensation’ for past budget cuts. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382049 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:10:31 +0000 bakky 382049@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I don't look forward to the anti-tram voices in the city adding '£222m compensation' to their litany of unrelated facts rolled out to back up not building further lines. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382041 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:18:17 +0000 chdot 382041@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>The city council is seeking a record £222m compensation from the leading global law firm who advised it on the building of the city’s tram line, the Edinburgh Inquirer can reveal. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk/p/city-serves-tram-lawyers-with-biggest" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghinquirer.co.uk/p/city-serves-tram-lawyers-with-biggest</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382040 Mon, 17 Nov 2025 09:16:05 +0000 chdot 382040@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>The deadline for people to give their views is midnight on Monday, November 17. </p> <p>Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson has welcomed the scale of the response and believes it could be a record. "It's certainly heading towards it," he said. </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-north-south-tramline-over-7000-responses-to-public-consultation-5403590" rel="nofollow">https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-north-south-tramline-over-7000-responses-to-public-consultation-5403590</a> </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382037 Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:46:45 +0000 bakky 382037@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Cheers - the <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/spokes.org.uk/post/3m5rrat4vj22i">Spokesfolks</a> seem to reckon so also. Think I recall the same from a previous consultation. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382036 Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:23:37 +0000 chdot 382036@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>“</p> <p>Closes 17 Nov 2025 </p> <p>“</p> <p><a href="https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/tram-north-south/" rel="nofollow">https://consultationhub.edinburgh.gov.uk/sfc/tram-north-south/</a></p> <p>Pretty sure Tinternet made midnight ‘normal’.</p> <p>(Previously ‘end of working day’ common) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=8710&page=74#post-382035 Sun, 16 Nov 2025 22:05:37 +0000 bakky 382035@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><strong>Advice urgently sought</strong>; do I tell readers of yonder digest that will be published in the wee hours of Monday that they can still respond to the tram consult? Does closes 17th November mean midnight on the 17th? Is time real? Thanks for any light and / or physics insight you can shed </p>