The Trams to Newhaven project in Edinburgh has so far seen more than 65% of all track laid (that’s 3.1km), over 85% of utility diversions completed and the stops at Constitution Street, McDonald Road and Ocean Terminal all finished as work to extend the Edinburgh Trams system continues ahead of its spring 2023 opening date. As we return to view the works we head to the city end of the line to see what has been happening over the past week or so in York Place and at Picardy Place.
Those of you who have bene following the project closely will be aware that the former terminus of the line from the Airport at York Place was closed last month to allow it to be removed and for the tracks of the extension to be connected up to the existing line. As part of the project York Place will be replaced by a new stop just around the corner at Picardy Place and good progress is being made on both the removal of York Place stop and the construction of Picardy Place along with the initial track laying as well.
This is the York Place/Broughton Street junction on Wednesday 9th March. The eastern end of the York Place platform would once have been in the foreground but has now all gone. A concrete pour is underway at the road intersection just beyond the former tram terminus. The tracks have now been laid across the road junction towards the Picardy Place tramstop site, which is beyond the first set of traffic lights.
Five days after the previous photo and this is the site of Picardy Place stop taken from a passing bus. This looks due west and although the rails have now crossed over the York Place/Broughton Street intersection (just this side of the church), the ground is still being prepared at the tramstop with various holes in the ground. The Conan Doyle pub is the black painted corner building (centre left) – the former York Place stop was just beyond that. (Both Photographs by Roy Calderwood)