Edinburgh City Council has said its tram service will be operational by May 2014, following six years of construction work.

Plans have been outlined for the handover of a section of the tram route between Gogar depot and Edinburgh Park Station for testing in early October, with a full route test scheduled to take place in December.

The Council's project team said the service will be up and running for passengers by May 2014 – two months ahead of its original summer 2014 target.

Next month, it is hoped the city centre will be free from tram civil engineering works, with Haymarket (Dalry Road to Manor Place) due to reopen to traffic around 12 October, with Shandwick Place Crescents to open a week later, around 19 October.

The return of traffic to the West End and Haymarket area follows the early reopening of York Place in early September, St Andrew Square in April and Princes Street in 2012.

-- Advertisement --

Transport Convener Lesley Hinds said: "Within weeks the city centre will be clear of tram works for the first time in six years - the end of the tram project and the beginning of a tram service are clearly in sight.

"Our target for launch is now May 2014 but we'll bring this forward if we can and we'll announce a start date for the tram service when we're 100% sure. There's a major testing, commissioning and driver training programme to be done, work to be done on tram stops and, of course, a Scottish winter to get through.

"As we near the completion of the project, we are now approaching a time of real opportunity for our city. There has been major investment in infrastructure and now we want to see transport options fully integrated as part of a system that will benefit residents and visitors while ensuring that Edinburgh is well positioned in the eyes of potential investors who can bring new jobs to our city."

Transport Minister Keith Brown added: "Alongside the £500 million the Government has committed to the trams, our massive investment programme at Haymarket, Waverley, the new Gateway station, Borders and in electrification will revolutionise the rail network and public transport in central Scotland."

The completion of the track and road works between Haymarket and Shandwick Place will mean that that the vast majority of tram infrastructure is now in place in the city centre. However, localised planned works may occasionally impact on traffic flows until the beginning of the tram's testing and commissioning phase.

The project remains in line with the revised budget (£776m) which was approved by the Council in September 2011, with work either ahead of schedule or in line with the revised timescale reported in December 2011.

(JP/CD)