Ice on the lines

Earlier on today Edinburgh Trams had to suspend service due to the cold weather and the effect it has on the overhead lines.

In the interests of safety the tram operator stopped all services for a time to allow for the problem to be cleared. Here is the official explanation:

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Trams said:”During the winter, we routinely deploy what we call ‘icebreaking’ trams. These icebreakers remove ice from the overhead line and allow customer services to operate safely.

“However, weather overnight created the perfect conditions for a particular type of ice called ‘hoarfrost’ to form on the overhead line. This ‘hoarfrost’ prevented the trams from drawing power as normal and caused the trams to fail. Therefore, we had no choice but to suspend service. However, with perseverance and the help of rising temperatures, full route services are now resuming. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience as we know how important our services are for those who need to make essential journeys.”