Edinburgh public transport: Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams both report increased patronage for 2025
Edinburgh saw an increase in the use of public transport last year, with both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Tram reporting an increase in passenger numbers for 2025.
Buses and trams combined recorded more than 130 million customer journeys.
And the increase was hailed as evidence of the popularity of the Capital’s “outstanding” public transport network.
Across the year, Lothian Buses recorded 119 million customer journeys, an increase of 2.6 per cent compared with 2024.
And Edinburgh Trams had another record-breaking year, seeing growth of 3.3 per cent, with 12.5 million customer journeys recorded.
The figures come after a year which saw a particularly busy summer period which included not only the Festival and Fringe, but also several high-profile concerts and events at Murrayfield Stadium and the Royal Highland Centre.
The introduction of contactless payments on trams earlier in the year also means customers can now use their contactless card or device to pay for daily and weekly inter-modal caps across both buses and trams in the city.
Sarah Boyd, now chief executive of both Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams, said: “Our bus and tram network sits at the heart of the city, providing reliable, inclusive and accessible public transport for the hundreds of thousands of customers who travel with us every day.
“This strong commercial performance reflects the dedication of our people, both on the frontline and behind the scenes, who work tirelessly to deliver consistently high-quality services.
“As we look ahead to 2026, we remain committed to managing cost pressures to ensure that we can continue to invest in the delivery of an integrated, dynamic and fit for purpose public transport network that meets the demands of our growing capital city.”
And transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson said: “Edinburgh’s outstanding public transport network is the backbone of our great city, keeping the Capital moving every day.
“These new figures clearly show how popular our buses and trams are with our residents and visitors, and my thanks go to our valued colleagues at Lothian Buses and Edinburgh Trams for their great work over the last year.
“I’ve no doubt that this will continue in the year ahead as these excellent companies work ever closer together.
“As we face into the many challenges of managing a growing, successful city, our tram and bus services will remain at the heart of our response.”