First two passengers take a £776m ride on new Edinburgh tram

By ALASTAIR DALTON
Published on Friday 16 December 2011 11:59

THREE years in, barely half way to completion, and it’s still not even the longest working tram line in Scotland.

One of Edinburgh’s new trams finally carried its first passengers yesterday, but the public will have to wait at least two-and-a-half years for the experience.

The long-delayed milestone took place on a 470-metre test track at the Gogar tram depot – which is no longer than the line used by heritage trams at Summerlee, the Museum of Scottish Industrial Life at Coatbridge in Lanarkshire.

Transport minister Keith Brown, a critic of the trams project, joined Liberal Democrat Edinburgh council leader Jenny Dawe for the inaugural ride – prompting ridicule from other politicians. The jaunt followed a ceremony to mark completion of the depot and tram control centre beside the Gogar roundabout and its handover to the council.

The ceremony came months after the resolution of a two-year dispute between the council and building contractors over changes to the tram project, the cost of which has soared to £776 million.

Five of the 27 Spanish-built trams have reached the depot, with the rest to arrive at the rate of two a month from February.

However, while trams have been using the test track since Monday, the eight-mile line between Edinburgh Airport and York Place, off St Andrew Square, in the city centre, is not now due to be opened until an unspecified date in “summer” 2014.

Standing beside a tram inside the depot, a clearly relieved Ms Dawe said: “There were moments over the last few years I felt this day would never come.”

And she added: “It is a really thrilling day for the council in particular.”

Mr Brown, who is begrudgingly providing £500m of Scottish Government money for the scheme after the SNP failed to scrap it, put on a brave face but showed little enthusiasm for trams, other than finishing the job in hand.

He said: “This is an important milestone in the history of the tram project. We must focus on getting it delivered.”

Mr Brown then said he was “very much looking forward to getting on the tram with Jenny shortly”.

However, he seemed unconvinced of the merits of trams over buses – such as speed, capacity and accessibility – which the council has been keen to stress. Mr Brown said that he had “real affection” for Edinburgh’s buses, which he had used since childhood and which provided an “excellent service”.

The minister said “incongruous” had been his first impression of the tram that went on show in Princes Street last year.

He told The Scotsman: “People will have to get some experience of it first of all. It remains to be seen whether people take to the trams.”

But after the tram ride, the minister had changed his tune slightly. “It was extremely smooth and accessible for people with disabilities and prams – one thing which will be appreciated,” he said

However, while conceding that “it’s not in Edinburgh’s interests for the trams not to be a success”, Mr Brown remained categoric that “any future development of the tram network is down to the city council, not the Scottish Government”.

Labour said the choice of the tram’s first passengers had been quite wrong.

Lothian MSP Kezia Dugdale said: “There is a certain irony in the fact the first two people to travel on the trams are two of the people most to blame for the tram chaos – and their fares have cost us all a pretty penny.

“We now need a concerted effort to ensure the public are not long behind.”

Green MSP Alison Johnstone said: “It’s good to see the SNP and Lib Dems finally travelling in the same direction, but this project has totally scunnered local people and it’s essential the real focus is now on the delivery of a fully functioning tram line.”

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43

Dinnae pit that there

Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 04:20 PM

As a proud and well educated Scotsman, I can't quite comprehend the lengths that a number of you appear to be going to to bicker like little old fishwives (no insult intended to the fishing industry or females) about the benefits we will reap from the luxurious advances in technology that allow us to have this tram in our glorious city. The revenue of the tourist industry alone alone will rocket. Enabling tourists with a comfortable mode of transport that will allow them to bypass the "less fortunate" and "homeless" people on our glorious cobbled thoroughfares. You complain about "our taxes" being spent? Would you rather "our taxes" were spent on comfier seats for you in your ivory towers to complain from?

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42

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head

Thursday, December 22, 2011 at 08:11 PM

This would be hilarious it it wasn't actually happening. Scrap this insanity NOW!!!!!!!!

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41

Tarheel Scot

Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 08:30 AM

What percentage of the total final costs (regardless of what that amount is) will be spent in, 1) Edinburgh & Lothian region, 2) Scotland, 3) UK and 4) outside the UK?

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40

cady33

Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 07:30 AM

Comment removed by moderator

39

. . .one of almost six million morons writes . . .

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 11:41 PM

Comment removed by moderator

38

Jolly

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 08:03 PM

Which Councillor thought up TIE anyway???

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37

Jolly

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 08:02 PM

Well of course, TIE (a creation of the Butchers, Bakers and Candlestickmakers of City Council) prolonged the agony and increased the price! How typical of our council to create this extra level of incompetence to add to their own! How incredible of the SNP councillors to told by Holyrood to stop being silly wee boys and girls and vote for the last phase! Staggering!!!

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36

Deleted

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 07:17 PM

I hope they used the correct change or the driver will keep a few mill for himself!

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35

Aristotle

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 06:43 PM

#34 Miles Perour - what tram network? How will it benefit Scotland and many in Edinburgh? It is a line from near the airport to St andrew Square - serving a very small percentage of Edinburghs population. As for the worst being over - wait until the final bill comes in and it runs at a loss. It is an expensive white elephant that duplicates an already efficient and profitable bus service.

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34

Miles Perour

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 04:35 PM

What a lot of Edinburgh miseries complaining about the trams. !! The tram system will be good for Scotland and very beneficial to many in Edinburgh. The worst is over, so lighten up and look forward to tram journeys in a couple of years. It is happening.

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33

Miles Perour

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 04:34 PM

What a lot of Edinburgh miseries complaining about the trams. !! The tram system will be good for Scotland and very beneficial to many in Edinburgh. The worst is over, so lighten up and look forward to tram journeys in a couple of years. It is happening.

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32

freeesian

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 04:29 PM

~24 "These people in the picture should be ashamed of themselves for inflicting this white elephant on us Wrong, the people responsible for inflicting the white leephant on us are the residents of Drum Brae and the Gyle who voted her in in the first place. . Report Unsuitable

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31

korky

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 03:44 PM

Can one use one's bus pass on them??

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30

Tomsk

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 01:50 PM

#29 I think I can see the white elephant -- nae need!

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29

Hootsperson

Friday, December 16, 2011 at 01:18 PM

All i see is 2 freeloaders riding a white elephant.

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