Trams finally reach Leith!
A decade after the first stretch of Edinburgh's new tram opened between the airport and the city centre, using the entire budget that was also supposed to take the tramway to the cost at Leith/Newhaven, the northern extension is finally built and open!
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| Route of the Edinburgh tram. |
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| One of the CAF Urbos trams at the Leith terminus |
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| The extension is mainly running in a central reservation with some on-street running in parts. However some sections have, like Manchester Metrolink, been squeezed in to existing street topography with very slow speed 90 degree corners. |
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| Plentiful warnings along the route about the presence of trams. |
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| Comprehensive ticketing options including ticket machines (which sell combined bus/tram tickets as well as just tram tickets) and smart card readers for both the local smart card and bank cards. |
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| I always find it slightly weird that Edinburgh Trams specified these high back bus seats' for their trams but when lightly loaded, as my wet Sunday afternoon trip to Newhaven was, they are comfortable. |
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| Simple fare table for the trams: penalises short journeys but isn't particularly expensive for return or day tickets. |
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| A benefit of the Edinburgh Festival is that trams run all night at weekends. It's the future, ah tell thee! |
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| Gratuitous picture of a tram in the rain at St Andrew Square stop |
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| And finally - mock up tram at the Edinburgh Airport stop. The previous fare table shows quite a premium for travelling by tram to the airport: airport public transport with a heavy premium fare is quite a thing at Scotland's airports. |
