Edinburgh Trams - Construction

Construction

Until August 2011, the tram system construction project was overseen by Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE), a company wholly owned by the City of Edinburgh Council, who were responsible for project-managing the construction of the tramway.

Once the draft business case had been accepted by the Scottish Government, initial construction work and the movement of underground utilities commenced in Spring 2007, based on a design by System Design Services (SDS, a joint design contract led by Parsons Brinckerhoff and Halcrow).

In May 2008 final contracts to build the tram system were awarded to BSC, a consortium of Bilfinger Berger/Siemens (BBS) and tram builder CAF, and construction of the tram infrastructure commenced.

The initial system is to use a mix on-street running and (west of Haymarket) segregated off-road track, with conventional tram stop platforms. Stops will be fitted with shelters, ticket machines, lighting and CCTV. The network will be operated from a depot at Gogar, close to the A8 roundabout, just north of the Gyle tram stop.

The route of the tram line requires the construction of new bridges to cross the railway lines at Edinburgh Park and Stenhouse and a tunnel under the A8 near the Gogar roundabout. Existing bridges at Balgreen, Roseburn, Coltbridge and Craigleith will also have to be widened, and the Murrayfield Viaduct must also be adapted for trams to pass under it. The works to build a tram interchange at Haymarket station involved the demolition of a Category C(S) listed building, the former Caledonian Alehouse on Haymarket Terrace.

The on-street sections of track are being laid into a special foundation with cobbled road surfacing designed to be sympathetic with the existing style of Edinburgh streets. Trams are to be powered by overhead cables which will be suspended either from specially erected poles or from buildings. There are to be nine electrical substations which will be both underground and above ground.