The City of Edinburgh Council look set to launch the public consultation into the proposed North-South extension for the tram network in spring 2025, according to reports in the local press.
Where funding for the extension – which would run from Granton in the north through the centre of Edinburgh and out to the Royal Infirmary and BioQuarter – would currently come from is unclear with the Scottish Government having stated that alternative models needed to be looked at. The suggestion here being that a public-private partnership may be needed to ensure that the plans could be progressed.
Despite this uncertainty over funding, the Council have plans to launch a consultation into the proposed route during spring 2025. And with the debate over whether it should run along the Roseburn Path (as recommended previously) set to cause controversy with local campaigners having called for a rethink the consultation could be a key point in decisions on the future of the line.
During the consultation both the route taking in the Roseburn Path route – which has become a popular cyclepath having once been part of a rail corridor – as well as an alternative route via Orchard Brae and across Dean Bridge.
Stephen Jenkinson, City of Council Transport and Environment Convener, said: “With the Trams to Newhaven project, people are now seeing the benefit of the tram and we are seeing growth. North-South is absolutely key for delivering the future mass transport system in Edinburgh. There is a question mark about financing, but what we need to do is ensure we’re moving forward with this project and we have all the plans in place and people have bought into the solution. We’re financed at this stage to deliver this stage of the project and in the background we’re working on financing the trams going forward.”
Following the public consultation its expected a final decision on the route will be taken in winter 2025.