Public consulted over Edinburgh trams extension.
Plans to build a new tramline linking the north and south of Edinburgh have been put out for public consultation.
Edinburgh Council is trying to decide whether the route should run between Crewe Toll and the city centre via Orchard Brae and across the A-listed Dean Bridge, or along the former railway line and now pedestrian corridor at Roseburn Path.
The entire line will connect Granton in the north to the Royal Infirmary and BioQuarter in the south east, with a portion of the route passing over the refurbished North Bridge.
It is estimated that the new line will cost between £2 billion and £2.9 billion, depending on the route chosen. A 12-week consultation on the project began on Monday.
The council stated that it would not make a final decision on which route the tram would take, but would “inform the strategic business case” presented to its transport and environment committee in 2026.
Campaigners have strongly opposed plans for the tramline to run along Roseburn Path, which was previously part of the now-defunct north suburban railway line.
It has since become a popular cycling and walking route, but council officials designated it as the “preferred” option for the tram extension last year.
The proposal would have ‘narrower’ trams run on a single line away from the main road before connecting to the current line near Haymarket via a disused section of railway track.
The council stated that a “dedicated walking, wheeling, and cycling corridor” would be built into the design and separated from the tramway by fences.
They estimated that the cost of building that route would be between £350 million and £480 million, and that construction time would be reduced because road closures would not occur.
However, campaign groups such as Save the Roseburn Path have warned that the impact on route usage, trees, and wildlife will be “devastating” for users.
They argue that the alternative route, via Orchard Brae, would be more suitable for passenger capacity.
According to the proposals, the tram would cross the Crewe Toll roundabout from Granton, past the Western General Hospital, up Orchard Brae, and connect with the Princes Street tramline at Queensferry Road in the city’s west end.
The development would uproot fewer trees, while also creating an alternative cycling route along the Roseburn Path. However, it would also require running the tram across the 193-year-old Dean Bridge, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site in Edinburgh.
More research would be required to determine whether the 136m (446ft) structure, which is category A-listed, could withstand the additional capacity and weight of a tram line.
It would also involve the closure of several major roads during construction and would cost between £650m and £850m, according to council figures.
The remainder of the extension, running south of the city centre, is planned to follow Princes Street and connect with North Bridge. It would then proceed to Newington before terminating at the Royal Infirmary via Cameron Toll.
The plans also include building a lift to connect the tram stop on North Bridge to Waverley Station below.
The tram would then continue south, passing through the Cameron Toll roundabout and Old Dalkeith Road before arriving at its final stop.
A further extension to East and Midlothian will also be considered. The consultation is open until November 17 and can be viewed online.
‘Bold and ambitious’
The final major extension to the tram network opened in 2023, with trams running down Leith Walk towards Newhaven.
After years of delays and skyrocketing costs, the original line finally opened in 2014. A public inquiry into the project was announced shortly after the first line opened, but the report was not released until 2023.
Stephen Jenkinson, Edinburgh’s transport convener, stated that “doing nothing was not an option” given the city’s projected population growth over the next two decades.
He described the tram network extension as a “bold and ambitious solution”. He went on to say, “Edinburgh is Scotland’s fastest growing city, with over 60,000 new residents expected over the next 20 years.”
“While this shift is a true indication of our success, it places significant strain on our communities, particularly the city’s transport infrastructure, on which we all rely.
“The new developments we will see along the tram route will be key to Edinburgh’s prosperity for generations to come.”
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