Edinburgh's North-South tramline: Lift to take passengers from new tram stop on North Bridge to Waverley station below
Edinburgh's plans for a new North-South tramline includes a tram stop on North Bridge with a lift down to Waverley station.
And the council says the tram stop - which would also provide a link to bus services - is forecast to be the busiest on the whole tram network.
A 12-week consultation on the proposed tramline from Granton to the Royal Infirmary and beyond was launched earlier this week.
Under the plan, trams would run on the existing tram track along Princes Street then follow an on-road tram route from North Bridge southwards to Cameron Toll and on to the Bioquarter and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The route could then continue - either as tram or as bus rapid transit - to Musselburgh in East Lothian and/or Shawfair in Midlothian.
The proposed lift from the tram stop on North Bridge down to the station would provide a more direct link between the tram service and Waverley than is currently available, with the nearest tram stops either at St Andrew Square or half way along Princes Street.
Transport convener Stephen Jenkinson said: "This is about both accessibility and connectivity - if you arrive in Edinburgh at Waverley, you can then go up to the tram and connect there rather than having to go to Princes Street. It's to make it accessible and also to improve the connectivity between the rail network and the tram network."
The tram consultation document says: "A tram stop on North Bridge would link to Waverley Station via a lift. This would improve access for passengers with reduced mobility or with luggage. This stop will also improve connection to buses and is forecast to be the busiest on the network."
The idea of a lift from North Bridge to link the trams and the station was included in the Waverley station masterplan published in 2019, which also proposed a major revamp of the station with a mezzanine floor built above the platforms to create a new concourse giving street-level access from Waverley Bridge.
The masterplan referred to a "bus and tram hub" on North Bridge, but the "vertical urban lift” it proposed was between North Bridge and Market Street rather than straight into the station.
It said: "New urban lifts are proposed on the east side of the south bridge abutment, improving connectivity between North Bridge, the Royal Mile and the Old Town at high level and the station at low level.
"This new proposed connector will increase accessibility to the station and provide easy access to buses and the future tramline on North Bridge. The masterplan will allow for a second North Bridge connector if considered feasible."
However, plans in a modelling report for the new North-South tramline show the tram stop located half way across the bridge, with the lift descending directly from the tram stop to the main station concourse.
The report says: "Tram stop platforms would be offset, maximising footway space. It is assumed that direct lift access would be provided between the tram stop and Waverley Station, delivering a high-quality interchange.
"It would improve access between the station and the Old Town, which is currently difficult, especially for passengers with reduced mobility or with luggage."