With Edinburgh Trams being in the news recently for more positive reasons than usual we are delighted to be able to bring you a couple of photos from the line showing just how far construction has now come on as preparations continue ahead of an opening next year. With thanks to Alasdair McFarlane for the photos.
277 stands at the Airport teminus during a test run on 6th August,
Is the least impressive terminus on any tramway in the UK? York Place in Edinburgh city centre with its single platform, small shelter and short turnback on 23rd September. (Both photos: Alasdair McFarlane)
For the least impressive tramway terminus in the UK Eccles on Manchester Metrolink has to take first prize. Single line, at the left side on approach is a blank wall that is a supermarket and, arguably, the scruffiest row of terraced shops you could imagine on the right hand side!
But the Eccles terminus is at the ‘country’ end of a line, not in the city centre!!
‘Fur coat and no knickers’ is the expression that could be used to describe Edinburgh’s trams sadly!!
The project was cut back and the terminus certainly shows that it was. Sadly it is the end of the line and not just a temporary terminus during the building of the rest of the line.
What the photo doesn’t show is that the rails are continued to the end of York Place at Broughton Street, so that the line can easily be extended down to the foot of Leith Walk and as all utilities and cables have already been moved, laying the rails should not cause too much inconvenience.
Mal
The York Place stop is a different design to all others on the line; it is designed to be a temporary terminus. It uses a bus stop shelter. My slight concern is that the nearest other set of points are at the West End stop (originally to have been named Shandwick Place). This could make operations rather inflexible – particularly in the event of a points failure at York Place. In the event of the extension to Leith being authorised the York Place stop would be replaced by a permanent one nearby at Picardy Place.