MSPs back tram plans but opposition voices doubts

Published on Thursday 30 March 2006 02:32

MSPS yesterday gave their final approval to Edinburgh's trams despite opposition scepticism that the network would ever be completed.

The second of two parliamentary bills for the project was agreed, clearing the way for an initial 484 million section of the route to be built between Newhaven and Edinburgh airport.

The city council hopes it will have enough money from a contingency fund to complete a further 75 million section, between Haymarket and Granton Square, at the same time.

It estimates the first trams will be running in 2010.

Completing the loop between Granton and Newhaven may be delayed until 2015 and a western spur from Ingliston to Newbridge to 2020 because of funding shortages.

Mr Scott repeated yesterday he could promise no extra cash from the Scottish Executive, which is providing most of the project's funding.

But the minister said he was confident it would be good value.

The SNP said expanding Waverley station was a higher priority for Edinburgh than trams, while the Conservatives doubted the project would be finished. David McLetchie, the Edinburgh Pentlands MSP, said the planned later phases of the scheme were little more than "figments of fevered imaginations" and they had no chance of surviving the next spending review. But Michael Howell, the chief executive of the council-owned tram developers TIE, said: "This is a superb result, bringing us an important step closed to providing a world-class tram network to Edinburgh."