HERIOT Watt students proposing an extension of Edinburgh’s tram network have seen positive reactions in a meeting with the Scottish Government.
The group, made up of six students who came up with the idea as part of their final project for their civil engineering course, presented their research in front of councillors and MSPs on Friday.
The network would use the disused tracks from the South Suburban railway, which runs through less-connected areas of the city such as Gorgie, Morningside, and Brunstane.
MSPs applauded the proposal and will await news from the City of Edinburgh Council on whether a feasibility study can be put in place.
The proposed South-Sub tram network, a petition for which received almost 3,000 signatures in less than two months, seeks to tackle congestion in the city by cutting car journeys and using rechargeable batteries to fuel tram trains.
Congestion will significantly be reduced at Murrayfield, where a large portion of planning is taking place as the students were forced to avoid passing through either Haymarket or Waverley due to capacity issues.
They say that the fact that the trams can travel both on the existing tracks and on street level gives them a “two-in-one” combination of flexibility and connectivity, and will also reduce both social isolation and pollution.
The trams will also encourage urban regeneration across the route, in areas which are often less served than the city centre.
Though attendees from the Scottish Government were interested in proposals, it is up to Edinburgh Council to commission a feasibility study which would elucidate when and how these plans can become a reality.
Fifth-year civil engineering student Corey Boyle stated: “The South-Sub seems like an obvious option as it’s still there.
“The council were going to look at doing something like this in the future, but we have accelerated that conversation.
“We’ve liaised quite a bit with Network Rail in Edinburgh and Sheffield. In Sheffield, they advised us on the technical aspects and how to improve our own study.
“In Edinburgh, Network Rail have provided strategic advice for the South-Sub as they recommended doing it themselves.
“Overall, conversations have been positive and constructive.”
A similar tram-train network has been built in Sheffield, and there are plans for the same in both Cardiff and Manchester.
Councillors have also discussed the possibility of connecting the South-Sub network with the proposed North-South tram line that will run from Granton to the south east of the city, as well as converging with the current Edinburgh Trams line.
Combining these would also bring down costs, which was a concern raised due to the reported lack of profit being currently made by the existing Edinburgh Trams network.
Transport and environment convener Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, who led the meeting, said: “This is fantastic, really interesting.
“You can see the amount of work that’s gone into this in a considerable amount of time I can imagine.”
When asked how long the route would take to be built, the students replied: “We believe it won’t take as long as the Edinburgh Trams, as the rail is already there.
“A feasibility study would give us an answer”.
The students also state that they have met with Lothian Buses to ensure that all public transport entities can benefit from this proposal.
The next stage for the group is to persuade Edinburgh Council to commission a feasibility study, with hopeful backing from a number of MSPs.