Edinburgh trams: When will Edinburgh tram works be completed? Here's everything you need to know

Edinburgh's new waterfront tram link from Leith to Newhaven will open this summer – here’s everything you need to know.

After years of construction, the City of Edinburgh Council have finally announced a planned opening date for the Trams to Newhaven line.

Here’s everything you need to know about when the tram link will open, where the new line will go, and what phase is next.

When will the tram link be up and running?

Work on the Trams to Newhaven line is set to be completed this summer. (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

Edinburgh locals will finally be able to use the tram link from June this year. Earlier this week, the Council announced that the service should be operational by June 21. The project was originally due to be completed in Spring 2023, however, George Lowder, chief executive of Transport for Edinburgh, has insisted the opening date still counts as "late spring.”

When did the tram works in Leith start?

Construction on the Trams to Newhaven line started in Leith in November 2019. However, the works were paused for over three months in 2020, due to the Covid pandemic.

Where will the tram lines go?

The new tram lines will connect Leith and Newhaven to the current end of the Edinburgh tram line at York Place. It will add eight new stops to Edinburgh’s tram route. These include Picardy Place, McDonald Road, Balfour Street, Foot of the Walk, The Shore, Port of Leith, Ocean Terminal and Newhaven.

How much has the project cost?

The Trams to Newhaven project has cost Edinburgh Council £207 million.

What is the next phase of the Edinburgh trams project?

There are plans to add a link between Haymarket and Granton to the Edinburgh tram network. George Lowder, chief executive of Transport for Edinburgh, has said the Granton link would be the easiest to achieve. A tram line between Haymarket and Granton was originally planned as part of the project, but had to be put on hold due to a shortage of funding.

A consultation will be held later this year to allow Edinburgh residents to have a say on the plans.

When will traffic on Leith Walk return to normal?

After a long period of closures and restrictions, two-way traffic began running on Leith Walk on February 13.