Edinburgh tram goes live tomorrow!
Discussion
As a recent Edinburgh resident, the inconvenience and overspend of the tram project is pretty much all I hear about in the city's cabs.
I'm not quite sure why putting a less flexible, monumentally expensive alternative to the bus is a good idea, but after years of inconvenience the Edinburgh tram finally "goes live tomorrow".
Summary of the fiasco here: http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-f...
Hopefully a warning to any other city that's thinking of a similar project...
I will not be there at 5am to experience the first tram.
I'm not quite sure why putting a less flexible, monumentally expensive alternative to the bus is a good idea, but after years of inconvenience the Edinburgh tram finally "goes live tomorrow".
Summary of the fiasco here: http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-f...
Hopefully a warning to any other city that's thinking of a similar project...
I will not be there at 5am to experience the first tram.
pcvdriver said:
Spitfire2 said:
Eh? What's that big station with tramlines at the airport for?????
It's not quite the airport where the tram Depot is.....just a mile or two away at Gogar (it's nearer RBS headquarters than the airport).I must admit I mostly ignore the no right turn (and left turn) stuff - most of them have no logical purpose beyond trapping the motorist in a frustrating loop away from where you want to go. Having lived in London parking doesn't seem too bad - I tend to head in at the times when on street parking is free.
I went on the tram for the first time today. I was not impressed. It's incredibly slow on some parts of the route, slowing to 10 mph to "navigate" a bend, slowing down and speeding up frequently.
The worst thing was the heat and the stink of sweat - it looks like they de-specced air conditioning, but the original carriages were designed for air conditioning so had no opening windows. It looks like a single, small opening window has been retrofitted per carriage. We were boiling on the way back (yes, Scotland does have sunny days) and other passengers were commenting on how uncomfortable the tram was - it wasn't remotely full either.
Very disappointing.
The worst thing was the heat and the stink of sweat - it looks like they de-specced air conditioning, but the original carriages were designed for air conditioning so had no opening windows. It looks like a single, small opening window has been retrofitted per carriage. We were boiling on the way back (yes, Scotland does have sunny days) and other passengers were commenting on how uncomfortable the tram was - it wasn't remotely full either.
Very disappointing.
RichB said:
0a said:
The worst thing was the heat and the stink of sweat - it looks like they de-specced air conditioning...
If that's the case it's ridiculous for a brand new mass transport system in the 21stC. An article: http://www.scot-buzz.co.uk/business-economy/scanda...
It was exactly like travelling on a packed Victoria line in summer - but worse, as you are overground so a victim of the greenhouse effect.
Sorry, you are mistaken about my intentions - I didn't intend to write an full blown cost benefit analysis of the Edinburgh tram with my last post. I merely related the experience of a single journey on it.
If you take out the question of cost (it's spent now after all) then the tram should stand up as a useful, modern public transport system. Even removing the cost element, it is poor in terms of speed (there are sections of the route where is is forced to travel glacially slow) and the air conditioning was an issue.
My journey was not on a particularly hot day, but the journey was uncomfortably hot with fellow passengers commenting that they would hate to travel in rush hour. The carriages were clearly designed to be air conditioned, so have almost no opening windows (they have retrofitted one per carriage). One lady with a baby got off short of her destination to continue her trip by bus.
As useful public transport - aside from the cost - it appears the tram is a poor option.
The excuse about the route - if the route you need to take to avoid causing more congestion is so convoluted that it negates the benefit of a tram (efficient point to point travel) then don't build the thing.
I did travel on Lothian buses today - absolutely fine. It was a hotter day and with the windows open the bus was perfectly comfortable, and despite frequent stops it was quick enough for my purposes.
If you take out the question of cost (it's spent now after all) then the tram should stand up as a useful, modern public transport system. Even removing the cost element, it is poor in terms of speed (there are sections of the route where is is forced to travel glacially slow) and the air conditioning was an issue.
My journey was not on a particularly hot day, but the journey was uncomfortably hot with fellow passengers commenting that they would hate to travel in rush hour. The carriages were clearly designed to be air conditioned, so have almost no opening windows (they have retrofitted one per carriage). One lady with a baby got off short of her destination to continue her trip by bus.
As useful public transport - aside from the cost - it appears the tram is a poor option.
The excuse about the route - if the route you need to take to avoid causing more congestion is so convoluted that it negates the benefit of a tram (efficient point to point travel) then don't build the thing.
I did travel on Lothian buses today - absolutely fine. It was a hotter day and with the windows open the bus was perfectly comfortable, and despite frequent stops it was quick enough for my purposes.
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