Edinburgh tram extension costs could soar to nearly £3bn
Edinburgh’s next tram extension could cost up to £2.9 billion, up from an estimate of £2bn early last year.
A range of costs released ahead of a consultation on the project, which went live on Monday evening, put the price between £2bn and £2.9bn depending on which route the trams take.
The tram extension is set to see a new line built between Granton and the Edinburgh BioQuarter, near the Royal Infirmary.
It has been planned in some form since the early 2000s, when conversations about a tram network for Edinburgh started in earnest.
And legislative consent for the line has been on the books since 2006, enabled by the same law that gave the green light to the current tram line.
The full £2.9bn cost would come if a more expensive routing is taken to the northwest of the city, and if the line runs beyond the BioQuarter to East Lothian.
Edinburgh’s transport boss, Labour councillor Stephen Jenkinson, said the new line would let the city ‘prepare for the future’, with the city’s population expected to grown by 60,000 new residents in the next 20 years.
He continued: “Whilst this shift is a true sign of our success, it brings real pressure on our communities.
“We need to look for bold and ambitious solutions and the tram extension is central to this.”
The transport convener also said the city was in the process of exploring another tram route, running across the south and the west of the city.
He described it as ‘complimentary’ to the planned north-south tram route, but said it would not be included in the consultation, and would follow a separate design process.
In the public consultation, which will run for 12 weeks, members of the public will be asked for their opinions on the new route, including where it should run to the northwest of the city.
Meanwhile, south of the city centre, the tram line is already mostly set out, running between North Bridge and Mayfield Gardens, before jogging east to cross Cameron Toll.
Trams would then run south along Old Dalkeith Road, before turning left along Little France Drive to terminate next to the BioQuarter.
The consultation will ask about support for running the tram line further to Midlothian or East Lothian.
Places east of the Royal Infirmary that could be served by a longer line include Niddrie, Fort Kinnaird, Newcraighall Park and Ride, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh station, and Shawfair.
In the north of the city, one option would take trams along the Roseburn Path, a trail on a former railway line running north-northwest from a point west of Haymarket Station.
The other would take them north from Princes Street on Queensferry Road, Orchard Brae and Crewe Road South, with the line passing over the Dean Bridge.
Council officers estimate a routing along the path would cost between £350 million and £480m, while bringing in an estimated 4.25m passengers per year by 2042.
Meanwhile, a routing along Orchard Brae would cost £650m and £850m, with an estimated 3.75m passengers every year by 2042.
Beyond the lower estimated cost and higher passenger numbers, the Roseburn route would also give faster journey times, given that it would see trams avoid mixing with traffic.
Additionally, the projected design of the junction between that route and the existing tram line could allow direct services between Granton and Edinburgh Airport.
But it would see the current mixed-use trail along the closed railway line moved over, and share the space with the new tram line.
And it would not directly serve the Western General Hospital, with the nearest stop being 200 metres from the campus, over Telford Road.
The Orchard Brae route, meanwhile, would avoid any changes to the path, and see trams stop next to the hospital on Crewe Road South.
However, along with its higher cost, lower passenger numbers and slower speeds, it would require the purchase of extra trams over the number required for the Roseburn option.
Compulsory land takings could be required for it to be built, which the Roseburn route avoids – and service from Granton to the airport would be impossible.
Council officers had explored running the Roseburn route along Telford Road between the path and Crewe Toll, in order to give the hospital a direct tram connection.
But they found that getting the trams from the level of the railway line to ground level and back would be technically complicated and expensive.
Both options share the final part of their route between the Crewe Toll area and the Granton Waterfront development.
Cllr Jenkinson would not say an expected date for construction to start, saying technical work and planning would come as a result of the consultation.
However, he did provide information on the South Suburban Railway, which runs across the south of the city.
It has long been considered an option for tram-trains, railway vehicles that can run both on railway tracks and tram lines.
Cllr Jenkinson said renewed interest in using the line had been sparked by a project carried out by Heriot-Watt students last year, which recommended running the vehicles on the route.
Speaking on the wider planned extension, he said: “Edinburgh Trams already offers a reliable and fast service, allowing residents and visitors to move around sustainably and efficiently, and with some of the cheapest fares in the country.
“The broader benefits of cleaner air and emphasis on active travel surrounding the network are equally as important.
“Our overarching vision is to truly link our city for the benefit of all.”