The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Fife willing to back tram link across the Forth
Council ‘happy to explore’ possible new strategy with Edinburgh
Plans to extend Edinburgh’s tram line over the Forth would be supported by Fife Council.
City of Edinburgh Council has unveiled an ambitious transport strategy for the next 10 years to eliminate carbon emissions and make travelling more affordable.
The City Mobility Plan, which councillors in the capital will discuss today, includes plans to extend Edinburgh’s tram system, which already serves the airport, to the north and south of the city and “explore the potential” of a link to Fife.
Fife Council transportation boss Ken Gourlay said: “We are interested in any new sustainable transportation initiatives so we would certainly be happy to explore with Edinburgh Council the possibility of extending the tram line.”
The Forth Road Bridge has been a dedicated public transport corridor for the past two years, following the opening of the Queensferry Crossing in 2017.
In 2008, a feasibility study was carried out into using the Forth Road Bridge for different modes of transport. The study, completed by Jacobs Arup, found it would be feasible for the bridge to carry a tram or light railway.
However, Alex Rowley, Labour MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, said: “Anything that improves public transport is welcome. However, the trams project to date has been full of difficulties so this would need a lot more work before being taken seriously.
“Currently many people are not able to afford the cost of rail so are being priced off the railways. The Scottish Government are also backtracking on the electrification of the Fife Circle rail route, so what we do need is a proper assessment of the travel needs of Fife and a plan with clear timelines for improvement. So let’s fix what we have first.”
Douglas Chapman, SNP MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, said: “We have the opportunity to draw in people who want to visit or work here and anything that improves connectivity to and from a huge population just across the Forth should be good news.
“I would be delighted to discuss any proposals with the City of Edinburgh Council representatives.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We understand there are no current plans to ask the Scottish Government for funding for any extension of the tram network, therefore the approval of the business case is a matter of the city council.
“The Forth Road Bridge has been in operation as a public transport corridor since January 2018 and we welcome Edinburgh City Council’s ongoing support for this measure.”
Years after operations began, a cloud still hangs over the Edinburgh tram project. Hailed as a bright new future for public transport in the capital, the project quickly became mired in controversy, delays and an eye-watering budget overspend running into hundreds of millions of pounds.
Even the inquiry into what went wrong led to a sevenfigure bill.
But while few could argue that the implementation phase was anything but an unmitigated disaster, operationally Edinburgh’s tram network has been a success.
Passengers have taken to the trams as a safe, inexpensive and convenient mode of transport and, crucially in these times when the climate change debate is front and centre, a more green travel solution.
Now that the trauma of the trams’ difficult birth is starting to fade, there are moves to extend the network to Leith and beyond the city boundary.
Among long-term ambitions is a link across the Forth to Fife. It is a proposal that makes a lot of sense considering the number of Fife residents who commute into the capital and the constant stream of leisure traffic across the Forth.
The plan was given a cautious welcome in the kingdom yesterday. That seems the right approach.
A new tram link is worth exploring but we must first have confidence that the lessons of the Edinburgh debacle have been learned. Once bitten, twice shy.