page_title: Edinburgh Trams
section_title: Completion: 2013–2014
hierarchical_section_title: Edinburgh Trams / History / Completion: 2013–2014
caption_attribution_description: English: Two Edinburgh Trams seen at the West End - Princes Street stop in Shandwick Place (looking north east). At this stage the line was in the final few months of testing/training. The left hand track is for trams heading for the city centre, while the right hand one is for Airport bound services.
context_page_description: Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. As of 2017 it is a 14-kilometre line between York Place in the New Town and Edinburgh Airport, with 16 stops.
  Construction began in June 2008, and after encountering delays it opened on 31 May 2014. The scheme had an initial estimated cost of £375 million in 2003, but by May 2008, when contracts were signed, the cost had risen to £521 million. The final cost after delays was £776 million.
  After running for only two years the scheme had achieved pre-tax profitability and exceeded the original ridership targets. On 14 March 2019, Edinburgh Council voted to approve the extension of the existing line from York Place to Newhaven. The extended line is due to be operational by early 2023.
context_section_description: From late 2012, work continued mostly on schedule. More than 150 metres (160 yd) of flawed concrete trackbed had to be replaced between Shandwick Place and Haymarket. In June 2013, overhead electric wires were installed on the city centre portion of the route. This was considered the last major step in the construction process.
  Controversy erupted over concessionary travel for the elderly and disabled. Originally, it was planned that concessionary travel, that is the ability of those with a Scottish National Entitlement Card to travel on public transport free-of-charge, was not going to be offered on the tramway. This was despite the fact that Edinburgh Trams is to be run by Lothian Buses, who are mandated to offer free travel to those with concession cards on all their bus routes. This revelation quickly caused city leaders to support an Edinburgh Evening News campaign to ensure that concessionary travel would be offered on the new tramway. City transport convener Lesley Hinds stated "People in Edinburgh have paid through their council tax and their taxes for the trams to get up and running and it would be wrong for a large proportion of the population not to be allowed to use their concessionary bus pass".
  Despite this, the Scottish Government refused to pay for concessionary travel for the tram scheme, as it does for all bus routes in Scotland. Talks between the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council eventually decided that concession cards should be valid for tram travel, but that they should be paid for by the Council instead of the Government. It was revealed on 15 August 2013 that the cards would be valid, and that travel would be paid for by Edinburgh Council. However, only people with cards issued in Edinburgh would be able to use them. This compromise upset many people in the Lothians, who often commute or travel into Edinburgh.
  Works were two months ahead of schedule by September 2013, when Edinburgh Council announced the tramway would open by May 2014. All tram and road works were completed by 19 October with testing of the trams between the depot and Edinburgh Park commencing on 8 October 2013. This was followed by the energising of tram wires from Bankhead tram stop to York Place on 19 November, marking the first time that the route was completely energised. Testing along the full length of the route began on 5 December.
  The tramway opened to passengers on 31 May 2014.
caption: Trams on Shandwick Place during driver training in March 2014
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