11th December marks five years since the only additional stop to be added to the Edinburgh Trams network (so far!) first opened to passengers. Edinburgh Gateway was designed to provide a smooth transition between the tram network and rail network with trains on the Fife Circle line and services out to Perth, Dundee and Inverness all calling at the railway station and allowing passengers to change to head to the Airport on the tram.
Passenger numbers at the tramstop – and railway station – have not met expectations with the construction having been described as a “white elephant”. Tram passengers numbers at the stop are not recorded but for the railway station in 2018/9 just over 320,000 railway passengers were recorded as using the station – only a third of the originally expected numbers.
Despite that it remains in situ and also provides good pedestrian access towards the Gyle Centre with Gogar Tram Depot also being located close to the stop.
On 30th November 2021 we take a look at the stop with the railway station seen on the left. 272 is just about to depart for York Place. (Photograph by Roy Calderwood, 30th November 2021)
It’s construction also was predicated on the construction of the chord at Dalmeny,
permitting trains from the Glasgow to Edinburgh main line to call at the station/stop
via the Winchburgh – Dalmeny link and new connection. This was part of the EGIP
electrification plan but not carried out, nor was the new Winchburgh station. It
would have given passengers from Dunblane, Bridge of Allen, Stirling, Larbert,
Camelon, Falkirk Grahamston, Polmont and Linlithgow easy access to Edinburgh
Airport via a short tram journey. Rerouting stopping services this way would also
have eased congestion on the main lines into Edinburgh. The scheme is not dead,
however, and as far as I know is currently being looked at again.