Consultation on new Edinburgh tramline is 'opportunity to shape future of city'
The public consultation on plans to expand Edinburgh’s tram network has been hailed as “a vital opportunity for communities to shape the future of their city”.
The 12-week consultation on building a new North-South tramline from Granton to the Royal Infirmary and beyond will start on August 25.
Tracy Gilbert, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said: “This is a much-needed investment in our city’s infrastructure.
“Expanding the tram network will help deliver a more connected, sustainable Edinburgh. But it’s vital that local people have their say and that their voices shape how this project moves forward.”
The consultation includes the controversial issue of which route the new line should take between Granton and the city centre. The original plan was to use the Roseburn Path, an existing walking and cycling corridor, which has prompted strong opposition from residents and active travel groups.
The alternative would be an on-road line via Orchard Brae and then over Dean Bridge, which is seen as a major engineering challenge.
Ms Gilbert said it was important to listen carefully to community concerns.
She said: “While I support the ambition behind this project, I know there are legitimate concerns, especially around preserving green space and existing active travel routes. Those must be properly heard and respected. This can’t be a top-down decision.”
The consultation will inform the next stage of the project’s development, which includes the preparation by council officials of a strategic business case, expected to go before the transport and environment committee in 2026.
The tramline from York Place in the city centre to Edinburgh Airport opened in May 2014 and the extension from the city centre through Leith to Newhaven was completed in June 2023.
The Scottish Government appeared to give its backing to further expansion of Edinburgh’s tram network when it published its national transport blueprint, the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), in December 2022.
The document listed Edinburgh and South East Scotland Mass Transit as an investment priority. But since then, there has been uncertainty over the prospect of Scottish Government funding,
In November 2024, Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said any new tramline should improve links with communities in neighbouring local authorities and ought to be seen in the context of wider mass transit and not just “tram in isolation”.
The consultation document is expected to include an indication of how the proposed North-South line could, in the future, link into Midlothian and potentially East Lothian.