Progress on construction for the Trams to Newhaven project in Edinburgh – which should see trams running in the first half of 2023 – is continuing to make excellent progress at various locations along the 2.91 mile route from York Place to Newhaven. In this latest pictorial update we feature images of what has been going on recently with photos coming from Roy Calderwood and John Hampton.
This photo was taken just to the north of the future Balfour Street tramstop on 4th March 2021 and is looking northeast across Leith Walk. Balfour Street will be the third new stop on the line from the city (including the Picardy Place replacement for York Place). The side street seen in the distance is Jameson Place and just as this image was captured concrete was being poured around the Newhaven bound track while the city bound track has yet to be laid. Traffic is only able to travel to the city on a single line at this point with Leith bound traffic diverted away from the area.
This is Constitution Street in Leith looking north from the Queen Charlotte Street junction. The Newhaven bound track is now being laid on the left while citybound there is nothing here at present. On the right we can see Leith Police Station – which was at one point the Town Hall – and the tower was the former St John’s East Church. There will be a tramstop – currently called The Shore on the plans – roughly located roughly beyond the white vans. Trams last ran here on 12th September 1956 and Constitution Street also saw the first horse tram route in Leith and Edinburgh in November 1871. (Photographs x2 by Roy Calderwood, 4th March 2021)
On Leith Walk this is the scene where we take a close look at the location where two old North British railway tracks pass underneath the road. It may be necessary for special construction to take place here when the trams lines are installed over the tunnel roof structure.
The track just north of the junction with Annandale Street shows on the left the brushed surface finish to the concrete which indicates that the track will be shared between tram and ordinary traffic whereas on the right the surface finish is with impressed sets which will be tram only.
The track north of the junction with Pilrig Street. (Photographs x3 by John Hampton, 6th March 2021)
Here we are between the future stops at Ocean Terminal and Port of Leith as we look towards the latter. Works are at an earlier stage here with utility diversions underway as we look east along Ocean Drive. The disused Victoria Dock is behind the fence on the right and the building in the centre background with the Italianate tower is the Forth Ports head office at Prince of Wales Dock. We can also see a ship to the right of that which is the former lighthouse tender “Fingal” – now a floating hotel owned by the trust which owns the former Royal Yacht Britannia. (Photograph by Roy Calderwood, 6th March 2021)