It might not have escaped your notice but the majority of the UK is currently being hit by heavy snow causing disruption as people try to carry on with their daily routine. One of the most severely affected areas of the country has been Edinburgh – included in the red warning zone – but despite this a tram service has continued to run including an extra all night service for free!
A reduced service has been operating on Wednesday 28th February and Thursday 1st March with trams running every 15-20 minutes between York Place and Edinburgh Airport. In addition a special free all night service ran every 30 minutes between midnight and 0500 on 1st March to try and help residents and visitors to Edinburgh to get around. This ran only for the one night.
Lea Harrison, Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams, said: “The safety of our customers and our staff is our number one priority. However, with most other transport disrupted, it is important we do all we can to maintain a service as normal as possible. Our teams are working tirelessly around the clock to help our customers get to where they need to be.”
There has also been an agreement on ticket acceptance to get to the Airport so users of the Airlink 100 bus service can travel by bus and vice versa to help cut waiting times in the bitter cold.
Services will end as normal at the end of service on 1st March and then attention will be turned to ensuring trams will be able to run from 0500 on Friday 2nd March.
Three views through the snow of 261 at St Andrew Square on 1st March. (All Photographs by Roy Calderwood)