Edinburgh council plans consultation this year on next phase of tram expansion from Granton to Infirmary

Edinburgh residents will be asked their views

Edinburgh residents will be consulted later this year on a plan to extend the Capital’s tram system from Granton, through the city centre and towards the Royal Infirmary.

Plans for the new line will be put to the public after the extension to Newhaven opens in the spring. The council’s transport chief said the next phase will open in 2035 “at the latest”. While the authority says laying more tram tracks is integral to cutting congestion and meeting ambitious climate targets, news of further disruption, roadworks and risk to the city’s finances will not be universally welcomed, as one councillor warned “you cannot spend what you don’t have”. Meanwhile councillors have called on officials to look into the options for a “relatively short western extension” to Newbridge and Ratho Station – areas currently under-served by public transport.

Transport convener Scott Arthur said at a full council meeting that a north-south route, estimated to cost £1.2 billion, is “at the absolute heart of everything we’re doing in the transport domain right now”. He added its importance is “reflected” in the Scottish Government’s plans. A government report published last year on transport investment over the next 20 years included developing mass transit in Edinburgh and south-east Scotland, which has given the council hope the Scottish Government will fund the Granton to Little France tram line.

The next phase of Edinburgh's trams, a north-south line, will open by 2035, according to transport convener Scott Arthur. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

A separate report which went before councillors on Thursday said a strategic business case (SBC) was “making good progress” with work ongoing to “finalise alignment options for the southern section of the line”. It said: “A three month public consultation is planned for later this year. This will present the primary findings from the work completed so far and the outcome of the consultation will be used to complete the SBC.” Cllr Arthur said the north-south extension “will open in 2035 at the very latest”.

SNP councillor Danny Aston said there was “a strong case for an expansion westwards beyond the current start of the line at the airport serving the rapidly-growing communities of Newbridge and Ratho Station”. He noted both are “areas currently very under-served by existing transport links”. Councillors agreed to call for a report on the issues and options that would come with the “relatively short extension”.

The Conservatives’ Marie Clair-Munro said that even if another tram extension is desired by residents “we simply don’t have money”. She said: “Edinburgh residents have made their views very clear to I think nearly every councillor sitting here today – they want good travel, yes they want active travel, but they want their city’s roads and pavements repaired. You cannot spend what you don’t have.”

The Green group’s Alex Staniforth hit back: “£1.2 billion is a lot of money and honestly maybe we’re not sure where we’ll get it. And these projects can be quite disruptive – trams and active travel – but do you know what would cost us more, would be more disruptive? Climate change and climate chaos.” He said the planet was on course for a 1.5 degree temperature increase and parts of the city “will be “underwater” unless bold action was taken to reduce emissions.

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