Modern Railways – April 2019

(Joyce) #1
Today’s eastern terminus: tram at the York
Place stop in Edinburgh. Ian Lothian

16 Modern Railways April 2019 http://www.modern-railways.com


News Front


EDINBURGH TRAMS EXTENSION MOOTED


ORIGINAL PLAN REVIVED: PROPOSAL TO REACH LEITH
COUNCILLORS IN Edinburgh were
to decide on whether to extend the
city’s tram network from York Place to
Newhaven at a meeting on 14 March,
after this issue went to press.
A Final Business Case was
approved at the Council’s Transport
and Environment Committee on
28 February. The 4.6km would
complete the original vision for the
first phase of the network prior to its
cutback following delays and cost
overruns encountered during the
construction phase. If approved, the
aim is for the extension to open in
February 2023. The line between
the airport and York Place opened
to passengers on 31 May 2014.
The approval was also due to
trigger the awards of two contracts
for the extension: a swept path
contract to Morrison Utility Services,
and an infrastructure and systems
contract to Sacyr Farrans Neopul
joint venture (SFNJV). The swept path
contract will involve identification

and clearance of below ground
obstructions along the tram route,
while the SFNJV will be responsible
for design and construction, systems
integration, testing, commissioning
and bringing the extension into
operational service. The council
had shortlisted three other bidders
to tender for the infrastructure
and systems contract: a BAM Colas
Rail joint venture, Dragados, and
a Sisk Steconfer joint venture.
The council retains powers to
complete the line under the original
Act. While the powers to acquire
land have expired, the Council
says it has acquired or entered into
legal agreements for all the land
it needs. It also intends to provide
tram stabling at Newhaven, with
terms agreed with Forth Ports to
acquire this land under a long lease.
The council has adopted an Early
Contractor Involvement model
for the project, and the aim is for
construction to begin towards the

end of 2019 and be complete in
August 2022, allowing a period
for testing and commissioning
before passenger services begin.
The extension includes a mixture
of shared and segregated running
on-street. Junctions at Picardy
Place and London Road would be
reconfigured, and eight stops would
be provided. The existing York Place
terminus would be decommissioned
and replaced by a new stop at Picardy
Place, with the decommissioning
proposed to be one of the final
construction activities. A temporary
crossover would then allow services
to run as far as St Andrew Square
until the new line is operational.
Seven further stops are proposed
at McDonald Road, Balfour Street,
Foot of the Walk, Constitution Street/
Bernard Street, Port of Leith, Ocean
Terminal and Newhaven. The current
fleet of 27 trams ordered when the
system was first built is sufficient to
also operate the proposed extension.

The projected cost of the extension
is £207.3 million, with a net capital
requirement of £192.1 million once
developer contributions, already
incurred costs and a contribution
from the support for business scheme
are deducted. The council says a
£1.9 million cashflow challenge would
be funded from reserves, with an
extraordinary dividend from Lothian
Buses of £20 million assumed over a
10-year horizon to contribute towards
financing and operating the line.
A further contingency allowance of
£50 million is also recommended.
An inquiry led by Lord Hardie
is still ongoing and is examining
the problems encountered with
the construction of the network.
It is seeking to establish why the
project incurred delays, cost more
than double the originally projected
amount and had to be reduced
in scope by shortening the route.
The council says lessons from the
original construction have been
incorporated into its approach
to building the extension.

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