Edinburgh Trams to terminate at Haymarket
August 26 2011
The decision to axe the stretch of track will save the Council an estimated £231m in borrowing but will incur the need for a projected £4m annual subsidy.
It will mean passengers transferring from Edinburgh Airport to the city centre will have to disembark at the station and hop aboard a bus to reach their destination.
The decision has been described as “bonkers” by the chief executive of the Edinburgh Chambers of Commerce Graham Birse, who told the BBC: “No business person in Edinburgh would take to their board the proposition that we should invest £700m in a project that is going to make a £4m a year annual loss.
"And to borrow £11m a year to sustain it is just bonkers."
Ironically disruption to Princes Street will continue as the track work done thus far needs to be redone on health and safety grounds – even if no tram ever rolls across them.
3 Comments
#2 Posted by CRE on 29 Aug 2011 at 11:43 AM
The Glasgow Subway is good...
#3 Posted by "El" on 29 Aug 2011 at 14:29 PM
Having lived in Dublin, I want to know how the Laus, (which has two lines) can cost less than three quarters of this mess?
Plus after walking down Princess St. last week, I was appalled to see the state of the tracks. The quality of work is of no comparison.
God, you would think after the debacle with the parliament, Edinburgh City Council would pull out all the stops to ensure their city wasn't left with egg on their faces again.
Is it just me; does not seem absolutely ludicrous to truncate it? They have already spent millions moving war memorials and diverting traffic.
What a waste of time!
Plus after walking down Princess St. last week, I was appalled to see the state of the tracks. The quality of work is of no comparison.
God, you would think after the debacle with the parliament, Edinburgh City Council would pull out all the stops to ensure their city wasn't left with egg on their faces again.
Is it just me; does not seem absolutely ludicrous to truncate it? They have already spent millions moving war memorials and diverting traffic.
What a waste of time!
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This makes Glasgow Subway look good.