Edinburgh tram sham 04 | 01 | 2011

    "EDINBURGH TRAMS could be running within months," trams bosses proudly stated today. But don't get too excited; behind the headline is hidden the fact it will only be half-a-mile of test track.

    The bosses stated the half-mile stretch between Gogarburn and the Gogar depot could be operational as early as the summer. And in an effort to court public support, they hinted the public could even be taken on board the vehicles at a later date as part of a PR exercise for the beleaguered £545 million project.

    While the rest of the project has ground to an embarrassing halt in the wake of the ongoing dispute between tram firm TIE and contractor Bilfinger Berger, work at the Gogar depot — which is expected to open in April — has continued. 
TIE is now hopeful trams could then be tested on a section of track before being run on the section of route between Gogar and nearby Gogarburn later in the year; that's providing a breakthrough is made in talks with Bilfinger.
In something of a PR mission, Alastair Richards, managing director of Edinburgh Trams, defiantly took the view that as long as talks go well with German firm Bilfinger Berger, passengers could be taken on board for the first time.
"I wouldn't rule that out," he said, "but there's a good deal more to do in terms of safety measures before that can happen. As soon as the arguing is done, there's no reason why the track laying can't be completed. 
"We're frustrated the coverage doesn't always go our way, because people don't get to see what we see. But we're really frustrated with the coverage because it feels we're within grasp of getting track laid."

    Richards may "be frustrated" by the coverage, but the reality is the project has been an unmitigated disaster from the start. Trying to paper over the problems by stating trams will be "running" in a few months is little short of misleading the Edinburgh and Scots public.

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    Jim McGill

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