During the afternoon of Saturday 14th December, Edinburgh Trams were forced to operate a split service after a medical emergency between Haymarket and West End. This led to an unusual split service running – from Newhaven to Balfour Street and from Airport to Haymarket Yards (usually we see trams running Newhaven-Picardy Place and Airport-West End but that wasn’t possible on this occasion).
The issue was first reported around 1400 and the special service remained in place until just after 1745. With a reduced number of trams needed on the Newhaven section of the service it led to trams being stabled at the terminus beyond the platforms and also saw the relatively rare use of the Balfour Street crossover (not in passenger service though!).
The passenger information display at Foot of the Walk giving intending passengers details about the revised service.
276 and 253 are stabled at the end of the line at Newhaven. This is beyond the platforms at the stop and was constructed to allow for trams to be stabled here if necessary.
Its not often that you get the chance to see three trams at Newhaven but that’s exactly what happened during the disruption. 256 waits to depart from the platform with a service to Balfour Street (the trams themselves still stated they were heading to the Airport but regular on-board announcements gave information of the split service) as 276 and 253 wait for it to be cleared in the stabling sidings.
At Balfour Street for some rare moves. Looking towards the city centre we see 256 here having run forward from the stop and stopped beyond the crossover. The driver has now changed cabs and the front lights switched on for its return journey to Newhaven.
Then in this photo we see 256 using the crossover to head back to the stop and return to Newhaven. With this service being Newhaven-Balfour Street it recalled a period of time between 1905-1920 when Leith Corporation Tramways operated electric tram services entirely in the Burgh of Leith. (All Photographs by Roy Calderwood, 14th December 2024)