Edinburgh considers tram-trains for third line

With an east–west tram line in operation since 2014 (extended north to Leith), and the north–south line at the planning stage, Edinburgh City Council has unveiled a proposal to re-activate passenger service on the freight-only South Suburban Line, that has not seen passenger service for 64 years. The new line would branch off line 1 at a triangular junction at Haymarket/Murrayfield and run on the South Suburban Line to Portobello, including interchange with the planned north–south line at Cameron Toll. From Portobello the line could run north to Leith, either direct or via Picardy Place on line 1. The plan to use the South Suburban Line responds to many year’s pressure from transport groups that the service should be revived in order to reduce traffic congestion and pollution on the city’s roads. 

 

Stephen Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council’s transport and environment convenor, said We are the fastest growing city in Scotland, with over 60,000 new residents expected over the next two decades and growing at twice the rate of Glasgow. The Lothians are also the fastest growing region in the country. Mass transit is the glue which holds our city and region together, supporting economic development, measures to tackle poverty, and addressing the climate, nature, and housing emergencies. I'm clear that a multimodal model incorporating bus, heavy rail, trams and potentially tram trains, supported by active travel and shared mobility, is the right approach for Edinburgh’.