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A cross-party coalition of councillors has voted to move ahead with plans to build a second line for Edinburgh’s tram system, starting with a public consultation on the route.
This first step is simply that, as with outline estimates of a £2 billion total cost, there is no funding in place. Instead, the council describes the move as showing its “intent to move forward”.
A timescale for the line’s construction and opening has yet to be determined.
Also, the council says it has “no funding allocated at present” for developing an Outline Business Case and Final Business Case (and all other associated pre-construction work), which will cost “in the region of £44 million”.
At a Transport and Environment Committee meeting on February 1, councillors voted to put the route to a 12-week public consultation in “spring 2024”, ahead of preparing a Strategic Business Case.
The consultation responses will be reported to committee in “autumn 2024”, alongside a draft Strategic Business Case.
The new line would share the Princes Street section (central Edinburgh) with the existing 11.5 miles east to north-east Airport-City Centre-Newhaven route.
The proposed north to south-east line would run from Granton (on the Firth of Forth) via the city centre to the BioQuarter and Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The south-east corridor has four route options.
It could also serve existing and planned housing and employment areas in Midlothian, reinforce the development of Shawfair town centre, and provide interchange with the Borders Railway at
Shawfair or Newcraighall (depending on the final route).
The route to East Lothian also “has the potential” to serve Queen Margaret University and provide an interchange with the East Coast Main Line at Musselburgh station.
It is expected that Scottish Government/Transport Scotland would allocate funding as the project moves forward, given its inclusion in Transport Scotland’s Strategic Transport Projects Review 2. This has yet to be confirmed and is “clearly uncertain given current
Scottish Government financial constraints”, according to the council.
It added: “However, there have been positive discussions with the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland.”
Transport and Environment Committee Convener Scott Arthur said: “Progressing aspirations to build the tram line … may involve some tough decisions, but last week’s vo
