Edinburgh council has agreed a way to move to the next stage of expanding the tramline north-south in the capital – and it came about with a compromise solution between the SNP and Labour groups, supported by the Greens.

At Thursday’s Transport and Environment Committee (TEC) the recommendation was to prioritise the southern part of the proposed extension of the line. It was stressed by council officers that this wording does not mean that the council should bin the northern part of the line completely – it simply means a sequencing of the whole project.

As a result the tram project to extend the tram from the city centre at least to the south of the city for now remains on track.

The seven councillors from the three parties agreed the Strategic Business Case will be progressed to the Outline Business Case (OBC) stage, but it will mean – as Cllr Jenkinson said last week – a “strategic pause” to await support from the government body, SEStransit.

The Convener said last week that the city should not be asked to fund the project on its own – it is of regional and national significance.

The Transport Convener, Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, said that his own group’s stance was to develop the full north-south route, along the Roseburn Path, and to incorporate the South Suburban Railway when possible. He said: “My preference is that at some time in the future we will be able to move forward and deliver the northern leg. There is less political pressure on the southern leg and I think it is appropriate to provide some clarity on that.” 

He added: “How is it paid for? I think this is a question that has been asked many times whether it is here at TEC or at full council. I think we have to look around at what else is happening not just in the UK but also in this country and there are large-scale infrastructure projects up and down the country. How are these projects going to be funded?

“What I’m trying to do is I’m trying to provide some clarity. I’m trying to provide a way forward. I’m trying to answer the exam questions that have been set, and I really have a grand and a bold vision for a mass transit solution that will help Edinburgh solve its future problems, but will also help the region expand and will actually help Scotland prosper.

“There is a win in this for everybody if we can be bold and if we can be strong and we actually take difficult decisions.”

Cllr Danny Aston (SNP) admitted that thousands of workers including doctors and nurses, researchers and other staff travel to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh – and there is more large-scale housing development to come.

He also said that Granton in the north is “an area of multiple deprivation and needs mass transit to connect it”, but he added that “no suitable route has at present been identified” for it – and the SNP cannot support the Roseburn option. He stated that in his view both parts of the line cannot be done at once, and recommended separating it into “manageable chunks”. He took time to mention the SNP led coalition administration which “delivered Trams to Newhaven on time and on budget”. He proposed a verbal amendment to the SNP position which was accepted by the Convener mentioning the need to give due consideration to the SEStransit work and “therefore acknowledges that a decision to allocate some match funding may become necessary in the future”.

Local ward councillors Day and Mitchell both made statements at the beginning of this section of the meeting. Conservative councillor Max Mitchell kept to the party line of not wanting to progress the tram extension at all in either direction. The Convener asked Cllr Mitchell if he was completely ignoring the current congestion problems in the city as well as the projected population figures. He said: “Is your position to stick your head in the sand with regard to Edinburgh’s current and future congestion issues and hope that it can all be solved by a magic want somewhere else?”Cllr Mitchell said he thinks that it is possible to “improve the way in which people travel around the city without having to sacrifice a listed monument like the Dean Bridge”.

Cllr Cammy Day said he was clear that it is only the Labour group which has a vision for mass transit across the city. He admitted that he may not know exactly how it will happen, but he wants a firm message that Granton Waterfront is “still on the map” with its £1.3 billion development plan already underway.

The debate

At the end of the meeting the Convener congratulated members of the committee for the way in which the debate had been conducted – and it was true that there was an amount of civility in the discourse.

The two groups – SNP and Labour had come to an understanding during the lunch break over what would happen. That fact alone left little to fall out about – except for Conservative councillors who wanted to stop the project in its tracks and the Liberal Democrats who oppose building on the Roseburn Path, but also want more options on routes put on the table (even at this late stage).

The two groups were supported by the Greens. Cllr Chas Booth said that both legs are important. He said: “We will reluctantly support the report recommendations today. Putting the northern section to Granton on ice does risk further disadvantaging some of our most deprived communities – Muirhouse, Pilton and Drylaw shouldn’t miss out on high quality public transport because councillors fail to put the city’s best interests first.” He also asked for segregated cycling measures to be baked in from the start and not added as an afterthought. 

Cllr Mackenzie (Greens) said the Edinburgh Green group can be relied upon to continue supporting the tram extension. He said: “Radical expansion of public transport provision is the only way to reduce carbon emissions in a rapidly growing city and region – and actually the only way to make a rapidly growing city and region bearable to move around and live in.”

Cllr Iain Whyte, leader of the Conservative Group, said the project is a “fantasy”. He continued: “We’re talking about £3 billion this council doesn’t have and as I look around the fiscal realities facing our two governments it is £3 billion they don’t have.”

He concluded: “We should stop this now. Stop spending council money on this now. Stop wasting taxpayer money because it is a fantasy that is very unlikely ever to happen.”

Despite a mention for the South Suburban railway scheme, the LibDems emphasised that The Scottish Government has said it will not fund a tram extension as a standalone project.

The group recommended leaving the matter to SEStransit who can promote it as part of a network plan, and said that no further monies should be spent on investigating the tram project at this stage.

Cllr Hal Osler said it would be a minimum of a decade before anything happens. She said there is a need to balance transport with the environment. We as a council have signed up to Million Tree City, declared not only a ciimate emergency but also a nature emergency. There is a proposal on the table to use what has effectively become a linear park as a tram route which will have a catastrophic impact on that natural environment.

But there is one point on which the SNP and Labour groups differ – and that is whether the tram will use the “linear park” of the Roseburn Path or not. That decision is now left for another day – and despite that difference of opinion the two groups found a way to agree.

After the meeting Cllr Jenkinson said: “This is a key milestone in our ambition to expand Edinburgh’s tram network.

“Let’s not forget why we’re developing these plans. Edinburgh is the fastest growing city in Scotland, growing at twice the rate of Glasgow, in the fastest growing region in the country. Whilst this trend brings exciting opportunities, inward investment, and economic growth, it also presents real challenges on housing, education, and of course on our transport infrastructure. Doing nothing in the face of these significant issues is simply not an option.

“From our groundbreaking £1.3 billion development at Granton Waterfront, through to the city centre, our world-famous universities, cultural hubs, brilliant local businesses, new housing developments, hospitals and beyond – our overarching vision remains to effectively link the whole of Edinburgh, and the wider region, for the benefit of all.

“We only need to look at the success of the existing route and, in particular, Trams to Newhaven, and the new lease of life that this connection has breathed into communities across Leith and the north of the city, to see the potential. Whilst we’re prioritising the southern section of the planned expansion, I’m clear that the whole city should ultimately enjoy the many benefits of a truly integrated public transport system.

“One of the key questions around this project is rightly on funding. To progress not only to the next phase of the business case but potential future construction costs, we need to demonstrate clearly how our plans will positively impact our region and Scotland as a whole. While I’m in doubt that this is the case, it makes good sense to wait for the wider SEStransit study to conclude next year.

“To be clear, this is one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking schemes in the country and represents huge potential benefits not only for Edinburgh but regionally and nationally.

“My focus remains on making the positive case for Edinburgh’s future and ensuring that we’re ready to meet the challenges ahead. We need to be bold and create a better, more sustainable and connected city, rather than putting our heads in the sand and hoping for the best.”

The next step will be to position the plans within the findings of SEStransit, a study for transport in the South East of Scotland region, which is expected to be delivered in the autumn of next year.

This work will also be aligned with the feasibility study on the potential reintroduction of passenger services on the South Suburban Railway line, currently being undertaken by Transport Scotland and Network Rail.

A chequered history

Trams eventually began running in Edinburgh in 2014 – the first since 1956. This part of the project was over budget and took far longer than it should have due to a fall out with the constructor. Lord Hardy conducted a formal inquiry – which took longer than the first part of the tramline did. 

The second leg of the tram – Trams to Newhaven – was built on time and on budget and opened three years ago. This is the leg which was closed recently due to the fire on Princes Street, and was much missed during the closure. 

Even Tony Crolla, a restaurateur with several businesses in the city admitted that while he was initially against the tram development in Leith, his view has changed. He said in a recent Linkedin post: “I read with interest that the Council is keen to push ahead with a new tram line to Edinburgh’s Southside.

“I don’t disagree with it – Edinburgh needs better transport. Take it to the hospital, definitely. Get cars off that road; it’d be brilliant.

“Although I would add that the electric buses provide a good service to the hospital. Shout out to Lothian Buses for that.

“Pedestrianisation, cycling, cars, and vans delivering stock to businesses – they all need to live together as this city grows.

“Trams mean huge investment and upheaval. I know that only too well, same as every resident and business along the current route. But once they were up and running, they’ve been a great thing for the city. Just look how much we missed them in Leith during August.

“Where I’d question it is in ripping up the Old Town to do it. You wouldn’t run a tram line through Vatican Square or Covent Garden; they’d do it underground.”

The members of the Transport Committee are:

Edinburgh Tram at night © 2026 Martin McAdam