Three people have been injured after a tram and a bus collided just outside Edinburgh Airport on Wednesday 13th June. The force of the collision caused the front of the tram to leave the tracks with the bus overturning.
The collision happened shortly after 1730 at Eastfield Avenue, which is the only road crossing between the Airport and Ingliston Park and Ride. This road crossing leads to a car park at the Airport and is traffic light controlled. The bus involved in the collision was one of the Aiport shuttle buses. It seems from photos at the scene that the front sections of the tram have been knocked off the rails with the remainder of the tram remaining on the track.
The driver of the bus has been taken to hospital and is reported to have serious injuries although a Police statement said the extent of his injuries were unknown. The tram driver and conductor were also injured in the collision but neither required a trip to the hospital with their injuries being dealt with by the Ambulance service on scene. There were six passengers on the tram but none were reported as being injured. The bus had no passengers at the time of the collision.
Photos from the scene have shown that the tram has suffered significant damage to the front with the bumper coming away from the body and damage to the windscreen. As for the bus that seems to have severe damage to the bodyside with the majority of windows on one side also smashed.
It is too early to say what caused the collision to happen with a full investigation now likely to take place.
Trams are currently only running between York Place and Gyle Centre whilst the emergency services deal with the incident. It is likely to be a while before full services resume as the tram will also have to be rerailed ahead of a check of the infrastructure.
A spokesperson from Edinburgh Trams said: “Edinburgh Trams regret to advise that services are currently running between York Place and Gyle Centre due to a road traffic collision at Eastfield Avenue near Edinburgh Airport. Early indications suggest that minor injuries have been reported from both the road vehicle and the tram involved. We are working with the emergency services to investigate the cause of the incident and would like to offer any support to those affected. While the incident is ongoing, a ticket acceptance agreement is in place with Lothian Buses to help customers complete their journeys.”
Updates to follow.
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