GREAT TRAM JOURNEYS OF THE WORLD – EDINBURGH AIRPORT TO GOGAR

Love them or loathe them, Edinburgh's trams have just come a big step closer.

Contractors today handed over nearly 3km of completed and tested track between Edinburgh Airport and Gogarburn.

This morning, Spurtle joined journalists and photographers from all over the country on an inaugural trip.

It is difficult to convey just how enjoyable this experience was.

Red faced, perspiring, damp from the rain, and absurdly encumbered by huge lenses and tottering tripods, the pack jostled to secure onboard views and opinions of Transport Convener Leslie Hinds sitting near the front with Transport Minister Keith Brown, MSP.

Some achieved better results than others (see below-right).

Spurtle soon settled for admiring the beauties of Edinburgh's rain-lashed countryside oozing past the window – a symphony of browns and greys, listless horses, dull puddles and half-derelict sheds in the middle of nowhere which would be perfect for the disposal of bodies in some depressing Scandinavian police drama.

Meanwhile, Hinds applauded delivery of the new section of line and pointed to 'very good progress' being made elsewhere. (The project is either ahead of or sticking to the revised timescale of works.) The Council, she says, 'is determined to limit any on-street disruption as much as possible'.

Keith Brown highlighted the system's connectivity with the rest of Scotland:

'The stop at Edinburgh Airport, refurbished Haymarket Station and Edinburgh Gateway rail–tram interchange will mean improved links and more options for residents and visitors between the rail network, Airport and other key hubs.'

On a less visionary note, Spurtle tested the seats, which are upholstered in grey leather with a red trim and – presumably for those with a short attention span – the words 'Edinburgh Trams'. They are hard but fairly comfortable, and cleverly force the passenger into an upright posture from which it is impossible to stretch out one's legs and form a trip hazard.

We would be surprised, though, if there is sufficient luggage space to prevent tourists cluttering up the aisles with rucksacks and suitcases in years to come.

On-street works and overhead cabling along the route are scheduled for completion by the end of this year, after which a 'programme of rigorous testing and commissioning will take place'. Given the Edinburgh public's inexperience of a light railway running through the centre of the city, this Spurtle correspondent found himself in discussion with a complete stranger about the likelihood of the trams' first fatality preceding its first passenger. 

We were soon joined by a serious-looking gentleman who turned out to be Colin Keir, MSP for Edinburgh West, through which constituency this section of the line runs. Although vehemently opposed to the trams in the past, he now welcomes them through gritted teeth:

'The time has now come to get behind them and make them a success ... so long as they don't have a negative impact on Lothian Buses, which is a diamond in the city's crown.'

Mr Keir (right) is a former Lothian Buses employee and proud of it.

The trams project is currently 'in line with' the revised budget of £776m which was agreed by the Council in September 2011. Contractors will next report to the Council with an updated progress report in September 2013.

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Since posting this article, an amusing short story has been brought to our attention. Lucy Ellmann and Todd McEwen's dystopic tale of Christmas shopping and tramworks in Broughton – 'How the Trams Stole Christmas' – appeared in the Herald on 22 December 2012. Follow the link above to find it.