I’m all for tram-trains as big wheel disquiet rumbles on
Two very different subjects that have cropped up more than once in my columns over the years were both in the news recently.
It wouldn’t really be Christmas in Edinburgh without an argument about the use of Princes Street Gardens, only this time there is a slight twist in that the discussions are not about the big wheel during the festive period, but new plans to have the wheel in place from the start of July until early January with just a short break when the Garden of Remembrance is created near the Scott Monument.
There is no doubt the wheel will be most successful being placed where it is, but there are very good reasons to have it in a different location where it will bring people to that area. Probably favourite is Portobello which certainly has the space and many would say the views. The Grassmarket would be an ideal location being more central, but apart from the ubiquitous views of the castle struggles to make a case.
I don’t often agree with Edinburgh World Heritage but in this particular case, while there might be an argument for a small extension in the wheel’s presence on Princes Street, the current application does seem a step too far. Again there are some who think that if the wheel is in Edinburgh longer it could move to a different area outside the festive period.
In other news five civil engineering students working for their Masters degree from Heriot-Watt University have come up with a plan to bring back the Edinburgh South Suburban railway. Much of the infrastructure is still in place but the biggest problem has always been the bottleneck that would be caused between Haymarket and Waverley Station. Corey Boyle, one of the team said: “The work is the first proper study on reopening the South Sub since 2008 and the first since Edinburgh Trams opened in 2014, making it the first to seriously consider tram-trains.”
There has been talk of tram-trains from Haymarket before but in this study the students believe the problems are surmountable by connecting to the Edinburgh tram network at Murrayfield, bypassing both Haymarket and Waverley. There have been doubts expressed about tram-trains since they were first trialled but Corey makes the case: “Tram-trains are light rail vehicles that can operate on both tram tracks and mainline railways, enabling direct journeys between city centres and suburban areas without transfers. They have been successfully used in Europe since 1992, particularly in Germany, were introduced in Sheffield in 2018, and will begin operating in Cardiff in 2025 as part of the South Wales Metro.”
Unlike the proposed big wheel there is little in the way of objections to the revitalised South Suburban railway and even the costing is reasonable compared to previous projects, leaving just the matter of whether the tram-trains really work. While there have been problems in the past I think there are enough projects either completed or nearing completion to show that the general opinion is that tram-trains are a realistic option. I’m sure the disquiet over the length of time the big wheel spends on Princes Street will rumble on.
For those who would like to know about the South Suburban railway you can read more here.