Links to Tram info and news:
(beware! some of this may be propaganda
so read with caution...)
www.lrta.org/Edinburgh/edinburgh.html
Edinburgh Trams - Wikipedia Entry
www.edinburgh-tram.co.uk
www.edinburgh trams.com
Edinburgh Trams Project Discussions
If you know of further links that would be useful to the readers of this page then please get in contact and we'll post a link in this space.
Click here for an amusing though irreverent (contains strong language - only viewable by those not offended by swearing and also over the age of 18) take on the Edinburgh Trams.
This is the now famous
Edinburgh Trams Youtube Video!
Your Opinions on Edinburgh Trams
If they go ahead and finish this project we should have the trams painted white and named after different elephants, such as Nellie and Dumbo.
Quote from Scotsman Newspaper Letter
The visitor to Istanbul has experienced the advantages of urban travel by modern tram/light rail vehicle (LRV), and anyone travelling abroad might like to try to experience a journey to judge for themselves. After the pain of the severe disruption, with more to come for Leith Walk, during the construction, the people of Edinburgh will undoubtedly appreciate their tram service like the people of Dublin, Nottingham, Strasbourg, etc.. While chaos and dust reigned during construction of the first line, there was early demand for more lines after completion. The first is always the worst.
But why LRVs and not trolleybuses or more buses? Like many cities, Edinburgh is an area of potential and expected growth in employment, and congestion is already so bad, that adding more road vehicles is not an option, as was shown in the business case for the trams. In practical terms, for heavily used routes trams/LRVs offer greater capacity (and comfort and speed) with six doors for simultaneous boarding instead of only a single door for a queue of buses. The signalling and control systems will give LRVs general priority in traffic, so they will be able to keep to their schedules of a service interval of five minutes and run at higher speeds. This will be enhanced by the reserved off-road sections of the routes.
In the intended integrated modern transportsystem buses used on
light-load routes can be used as feeders to the LRV route spines. With Cardiff now examining the introduction of light rail, Reykjavik with a population of about 100,000 will be left as the only European capital without a tram system.
Vic MacKinlay
(Edinburgh Branch LRTA)
'I've just come back from a holiday in Istanbul, where they have trams (that's not why I went there!) Well - in all honesty I have to admit, they are fantastic! They are fast and clean and quiet and smooth and cheap and really REALLY useful. If the Edinburgh trams could be that good I would be very happy to eat all my words against them (and everyone else's). You get plastic jetons or a wee electric doodah and pay to 'charge it up' (like a 'pay as you go' phone card, sort of) and just hold that over the turn stile like an Oyster Card.
One trip - however long = one 'unit'. Clear 'London tube map-type' diagrams inside show exactly where you are. Cars and buses and other traffic seems to co-exist quite happily with them, in the streets.
As far as I could see, the key lies in the extensiveness of the network (and how efficiently it interfaces with other lines and types of transport) and the number of trams - so long as there are plenty in action, waiting time is down to a few minutes, and no significant queues form. So I'd want to ask how many we are supposed to have here?
Like everyone else I hate the misery that the tram works have been inflicting on us all, but I'm inclined to think it's too late to keep banging on about not wanting trams. We're getting them. So let's make sure we get the most effective system possible that best meets our needs, by paying attention to the details and cooperating in saying what we want and need, in a positive and informed way, so that we get
the best we can out of this situation.
Comment from: Sally from Leith Links
'The trams are not for the ordinary people in Edinburgh. They're not for us. Consider this: there are loads of bus stops for the number 22 in Leith Walk but there will only be 3 tram stops - one at the top of Leith Walk, one at Balfour Street and one at the Foot of Leith Walk. Imagine if you have a couple of kids (maybe one in a buggy) and a load of shopping. You're not going to take the tram are you? Or what about disabled people - the scarcity of stops means that disabled people have been ignored. No, the trams were never intended for us, the ordinary people. They were only ever thought of in the first place to make the various councillors involved look good. It's absolutely tragic!'
Comment from: Archie McAndrew
'I have owned and currently run my windscreen replacement business Premier Windscreens from Constitution Street for the past 14 years.
Yesterday I got a visit from 2 tie representatives:
Gavin Henderson - Communications Assistant
Andrew McGowan - Logistics Co-ordinator
The person doing the talking was Andrew Mcgowan.
He wanted to know if I had any other access to my premises other than to and from Constitution Street, as the work to start laying the rails for the trams is to commence at the South end of Constitution Street Jan/Feb 2010.
I would be "Logistically Gridlocked" and "I would have no vehicular access to my premises during these works".
He has said that the work would be done in sections and that it would take a minimum of 2 months to complete a section.
He asked " Had I ever thought about re-locating" "What about Tower Street"
This just goes to show the way that there is little or no consideration for businesses trading in the Leith area and others along the tram route. 4 months notice that effectively I will not be able to trade from my business premises.
Even if/when the tram works is complete I have not been advised what my access or parking restriction will be.'
Dave Conquer
Proprietor Premier Windscreens
-------
"I Was in Edinburgh last week for the first time in a very long time.
I was shocked to see the state of the city due to the ongoing work on the tramway....the main problem appears to be the need to move the underground utilities from the tramline..
Speaking as a lifetime supporter of tramways and after reading up on the financial costs I reckon this was not a viable project....I prophesise that it will never reach fruition as there is no way that the contractor will be able to complete the project with the funds available and it may well lead to their demise!
Why was a trolleybus service running on reserved track (constructed from concrete edging!) not considered....modern trolleybuses are "trams" on tyres and only require overhead wiring...any competent Continental organisation could have a system up and running in a fraction of the time and cost....with no need for major and costly roadworks.
Thats my tuppence worth from Weegieland!"
Comment from: Tom Weegie
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"Talking about it is one thing, doing something about it is an other. We have to get cracking and get our heads together. The tram was never meant for the public despite the lies we kept hearing from TIE. We have to stop them choking our streets and living out of our pockets. The trams are glossy monsters with cramped seating inside for few people and long overhead rails for 170 bodies to hang on, to fill up to 250 pasengers when full. We must organise a get-together. Ideas wanted!" - Comment from Clompus: Leither of long standing
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"Is there anybody out there protesting and trying to stop the trams from ruining our city?
Have you seen the latest propaganda
given out to the schools?
My grandaughter has had a slide show about the benefits of the tram ways and a toy puzzle about the trams. She feels conned by this!
All her friends are talking about this.
What about the other side of the arguement?"
Comment from Daisy and Martha, Leithers.
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"Old people are going without services so that Edinburgh councillors can have their own personal train set"
Comment from William Duncan, Leither.
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"What a grotesque waste of money !!! I actually voted for the SNP becasue they were anti tram. However as they failed to get a constitutional majority they were blackmailed by the Liberal and Greens into accepting this crassly stupid plan. Is this any way to run a city ?
Edinburgh has a fine bus system and all we have to do is get the middle class on it and the best way to do that would be to make it free.
Buses are flexible and if logistic patterns in the city change they can easily be changed, unlike trams.
All this is obvious to anyone so the real question is why is anyone backing this crazy idea?"
Enraged Taxpayer
Do you have an opinion (either positive or negative) on the Edinburgh trams?
If so send it to Leith Links and we'll post it
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