Edinburgh Trams Completion Schedule Announced

Edinburgh City Council today reiterated that Edinburgh's trams will be rumbling through the city centre by the Summer 2014.

The council also revealed its "overall client target programme" (a completion schedule, to you and me), which identifies "the last remaining major milestones" for the curtailed tram project from Edinburgh Airport to York Place.

The timetable has been broken into various sections in the schedule. So, for example, you can see below that overhead line electrification on Princes Street will take from now until early 2014, but the direct impacts from roadworks and traffic management on Princes that this work necessitates will take place until the third quarter of 2013 (presumably before the festival in August). Trams works are currently suspended until January on Princes Street for the Christmas and Hogmanay period.

The delivery of the trams is scheduled for the end of 2012 but the actual commissioning and running in will not be completed until the Summer of 2014 (end of September at the latest).

The Edinburgh trams project has been beset by delays, huge cost over-runs, and an acrimonious dispute with its contractors that finally met some form of resolution in September following secretive talks.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, Transport Convenor, said: “The project has been progressing well since work restarted earlier this year and we are now in a position to look to the future with greater clarity and positivity. We want to share this information with affected businesses, the public and other interested parties so they can have an understanding of just what work is left to be done and when we will be going in and completing it."

The Council also reaffirmed its commitment to working with the public and affected businesses in advance of tram delivery to minimise the impact of construction activity.

“We will be working with businesses and residents who live in the affected areas in advance of and throughout the works to make sure we can deliver this new service for the city on target for summer 2014,” said Mackenzie.

Director of City Development at the City of Edinburgh Council, Dave Anderson, reiterated the message that “Good progress has been made since work recommenced in September".

“We fully recognise the important contribution all the affected businesses make to the capital’s economy which is why we want to renew our pledge that when information about work on specific sites is available we will share this as widely as possible. We want to ensure people are informed and updated regularly throughout the remainder of the works," promised Anderson.

“The Council has committed nearly £1 million of support in our Open for Business budget for this year and next. The aim of this money is to support affected businesses and minimise disruption while this key transport project is being delivered.” 

The Overall Client Target Programme

Quarters are representative of 3 month periods;

• Q.1 January, February or March
• Q.2 April, May or June
• Q.3 July, August or September
• Q.4 October, November or December

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