Letter: Tram track record

I AGREE WITH TIE chief Richard Jeffrey (Letters, 13 August) that it would be unreasonable to expect a major project like the Edinburgh trams to be implemented without the promoter "ever putting a foot wrong".

Unfortunately, in this case we are talking about rather more than a foot. To be more specific, we are talking about a project where the cost per mile has risen from around 27 million to at least 50m in five years, the route mileage has shrunk from 19 to 12 miles,there isno completion date in sight, and virtually allon-street construction work has ceased indefinitely.

Meanwhile, in Manchester they are racing ahead with their tramline extensions, on time and on budget, despite these including extensive utility diversions and on-street track-laying which have been the downfall of the Edinburgh project.

If lessons are to be learned, one must surely be that the project manager should have a proven track record of efficient implementation of similar tram projects elsewhere, something which TIE simply does not have.

ROBERT DRYSDALE

Primrose Bank Road

Edinburgh