Volume 14 in the Transport Systems Series. In Edinburgh's New Trams Gavin Booth follows the proposed introduction of a modern tramway system traversing more than 11 miles through the heart of the city.
Towards the end of the last millennium, Edinburgh Council proposed the introduction of a tramway system for the city to link the airport with Newhaven, a district about 2 miles north of the city centre between Leith and Granton. Similar systems had successfully been introduced across popular commuter routes in other cities and Edinburgh was to follow suit. Following a number of proposals to determine the route, construction began in 2007, with work intended to be complete by 2011. Inevitably, delays followed, building work ground to a halt and costs rose exponentially. Abandoning the project seemed a possibility. A review followed, the route was shortened, investment and construction continued and, following years of delay, operations began.
Edinburgh’s New Trams reviews the development and implementation of Edinburgh’s latest transport system, highlighting key phases of construction from contract bidding through to the build, route reviews, cash crises and the successful introduction of a 27-strong fleet of CAF Urbos 3 trams. An Edinburgh Corporation map from 1936 shows most of the city’s original electric tramway system. Photographs showing the construction of the tramway, and the trams themselves, are complemented by promotional memorabilia, signs and newspaper headlines from the period of construction.
Over 200 images. 96 Pages