Tram project delays - your views online

Several sections of the tram extension to Newhaven will take longer than scheduled to complete, council chiefs have admitted

Pamela Mitchell

Yet another disastrous tram project. The majority of residents didn't want the trams when the first lot was thrust on them. The extension was controversial from day one with businesses voicing fears they would go under but they were ignored. There is sod all in Newhaven these days and given that there was already an abundance of buses serving that area and all of Leith Walk, this project should never have been approved. The costs are soaring just like the last time and its deja vu regarding the delays. Leith Walk is a mess and the disruption for residents and anyone who has a business there is unacceptable.

Mark A Brown

I’m shocked, stunned and amazed. But hey, remember the previous SNP-led administration telling us that ‘lessons had been learned’ from the previous debacle? Quite how, as we are still no further forward in seeing the completion of the £11m+ Hardie report. What an omni-trambles.

Debbie Rickett

Oh really! This vanity project has been an absolute farce from the start. The money wasted on it is ridiculous. Its like the Sagrada Familia in BArcelona - gone on for years and years! Doubt if many of us will see it completed in our lifetime. Was on Leith Walk yesterday – what an utter shambles that is now.

William Geddes

No surprises here then. No doubt it will be well over budget and expected completion time.

Barry Macpherson

Imagine if this money had gone to upgrading council housing and spent on the people in this city rather than tourists.

Martin Veart

If it wasn’t for Labour and the SNP voting to end the initial tram project at Haymarket in 2010 (look it up), Newhaven would have had trams since 2015. A big fat thanks for nothing to both parties.

Mark Elliot

Who could have possibly foreseen this?

Tully Tulley

Sooner its up and running with people seeing it running and helping communities of Leith the better. It's what they deserved first time round.

Alan Morton

Well there’s a shock … not! I wonder if the enquiry paperwork is in the shredder yet, costing the people of Edinburgh yet more millions.

Brian Arthur

Well, my gast has been flabbered. Edinburgh Council wildly underestimating again. I’m patiently waiting on the council now coming out and saying they've underestimated their underestimation.

Iain Brough

It’s not unusual for large projects to overrun. The trams are a great addition to the city’s public transport infrastructure. We were out with folks yesterday and they were really impressed with what they saw.

Henry Campbell Gillan

So the line will be finished on time and within budget. That indicates that lessons have been learned after the shambles of the earlier works. By the end of this year all of the major construction will have been completed with all diversions removed. The testing and commissioning will then be taking place up to the opening in late spring/early summer next year.

Johann Achard

How is it to always be a non productive political debate? Do you think the Tories would have done it faster despite the “further archeological discoveries”? Would the tram loop be completed by now after two years of Covid restrictions and most of the European work force not being allowed to work in the UK anymore (not the SNP idea)? Give the project to a Chinese company next time … they’ll come with their workforce and Edinburgh would get its tram lines sorted in no time.

John Brown

Why they want to run trams to Newhaven is beyond me, there's nothing there. It would have been better running them to Livingston - what an absolute waste of money.

Chris Cuthill

I drove up Leith Walk yesterday and saw the quality of workmanship is poor, with concrete flaking away already, road surfaces sinking around manhole covers and bits of freshly laid road surface receiving patchwork chewing gum. A disgrace, if you ask me.

Nick Cook

Almost like the stuff I spent years pointing out as one of the only opponents of the scheme in council is....correct.

Annette Kelly

Looking forward to it opening.

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