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Edinburgh “capitulates” as tram spend hits £440m

May 13 2011

Edinburgh “capitulates” as tram spend hits £440m
Edinburgh’s tram chiefs have settled their long running dispute with contractors after agreeing to shell out an additional £30m to ensure one returned to work and acquire equipment from another.

It comes as a new report reveals that the total spend on the troubled project has now hit £440m, with the first tram still years away from trundling down Princes Street.

This has raised fresh questions over whether the final bill of £545m is still attainable or will, as many suspect, have to be increased in light of numerous delays and ongoing turmoil.

Following a bodged first attempt to lay tracks on princes Street, which are having to be dug up and relaid after cracking the surrounding road surface under pressure from traffic, contractors have been forced to close the key artery for another 9 months whilst the work is done properly.

It is hoped to deliver the line from Edinburgh Airport to St Andrew Square but this is subject to agreement from councilors in June.

If this is not forthcoming only “priority works” will be seen through to completion with the remainder of the contract “automatically terminated,” necessitating negotiation of “separation terms”.

Former Network Rail head John Carson described the terms as a "complete capitulation” on the part of the council when speaking to the Scotsman.

2 Comments

Tom Parnell
#1 Posted by Tom Parnell on 13 May 2011 at 15:48 PM
Please tell me that Urban Realm hasn't descended to the point that it just 'ctrl C+V's articles from the Edinburgh Evening News, because unfortunately that's exactly how this article reads...?! You've even quoted that rambling idiot at the end, offering no balanced evidence to the contrary.

And there was me thinking this was a haven from tabloid drivel...
Dodger
#2 Posted by Dodger on 14 May 2011 at 00:49 AM
I think Urban Realm has misunderstood the position.

The Council has not "settled their long running dispute with contractors": they have merely put most of the issues on hold for the time being.

The Council has acquired the infrastructure materials purchased by Siemens for their part of the works as they had bought enough for the whole of Phase 1A which will clearly not be needed for the foreseeable future, leaving Siemens out of pocket.

The contractors are now to recommence work at the depot, the A8 underpass and Haymarket Yards but attempts to reach agreement on the remaining disputed issues will continue until the summer.

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