Edinburgh Tram developments

[eoff]

At that time of Night the Airlink 100 is as if not quicker than the Tram ?

I'm struggling to parse that sentence but in any case we have done the tram/airlink100 comparison to death I think in previous discussions, for me it depends very much where I'm going and I'm pretty familiar with the trade-offs.

In my case the tram could have taken me to exactly where I wanted to go, the bus much further away.

I did get the tram the next day from my new flight and encountered an issue I have had before, the right side card reader at the Airport tram stop took 4 attempts to read my travel card. I think I have had to completely give up in the past, someone told me rain gets in to them.

 

[InOban]

I read this morning that as from today trams will run through to Newhaven but won't carry passengers after St. Andrews Square. This is to test the timetable. The message seems to have disappeared, perhaps because the whole system ground to a halt with loss of power and is only now restarting.

 

[CN04NRJ]

I read this morning that as from today trams will run through to Newhaven but won't carry passengers after St. Andrews Square. This is to test the timetable. The message seems to have disappeared, perhaps because the whole system ground to a halt with loss of power and is only now restarting.

A pantograph detatched from a tram I believe. Was lots of stranded trams, even after they restored power from the West end to the airport.

 

[bravesirrobin]

A pantograph detatched from a tram I believe. Was lots of stranded trams, even after they restored power from the West end to the airport.

guilty party at Picardy Place.

 

[Scotrail314209]

I did see a tram at Airport with Newhaven as the destination, got me a bit confused

 

[CN04NRJ]

guilty party at Picardy Place.

Yep! Still there as of 9pm this evening when I finished work, two trams have been down Newhaven since the incident too.

 

[fgwrich]

guilty party at Picardy Place.

Is this the first tram to lose a Pantograph on the Edinburgh network since interception and opening?

 

[computerSaysNo]

Yep! Still there as of 9pm this evening when I finished work, two trams have been down Newhaven since the incident too.

It was towed back to the depot by another tram. All the interior lights were off so I guess the coupling is only mechanical and air?

 

[Tayway]

Are there any plans to operate later into the evening, at least on Friday/Saturday evenings on the Haymarket to Newhaven section? The last tram from Princes Street eastbound being at 23:19 seems rather early.

 

[Siemens Trains]

Are there any plans to operate later into the evening, at least on Friday/Saturday evenings on the Haymarket to Newhaven section? The last tram from Princes Street eastbound being at 23:19 seems rather early.

Probably not impossible but I shouldn't think they'll rush to introduce later journeys on certain days of the week only, as things could get quite complicated. Passengers who over-nursed their half pint in a city centre wine bar and don't fancy forking out for a taxi can still catch later buses down towards Leith if necessary. Also these trams returning towards the airport/Gogar would leave Princes Street well after midnight and encroach on Nightbus territory with the convention of premium fares and no concession acceptance, again bringing complications.

 

[90019]

Is this the first tram to lose a Pantograph on the Edinburgh network since interception and opening?

No, there's been at least a couple of others before.

 

[A330Alex]

Trams to Newhaven services to start at 12:00 on the 7th of June: https://edinburghtrams.com/news/trams-newhaven-passenger-services-launch-june

 

[InOban]

I could quibble as to whether 7th June is still spring. But the project is certainly closer to schedule than almost any other transport infrastructure project.

 

[Gaelan]

Trams to Newhaven services to start at 12:00 on the 7th of June: https://edinburghtrams.com/news/trams-newhaven-passenger-services-launch-june

Conveniently the day after I fly to America! Darn.

 

[computerSaysNo]

Trams to Newhaven services to start at 12:00 on the 7th of June: https://edinburghtrams.com/news/trams-newhaven-passenger-services-launch-june

Seems a bit strange to start from 1200 rather than start of service in the morning?

 

[zwk500]

Seems a bit strange to start from 1200 rather than start of service in the morning?

Do they actually mean 00:00 on the 8th? (Which would be 12 hours after noon on the 7th )

I'm guessing there'll be some sort of ceremony for the first few trams so maybe 12:00 is better for the Great and Good.

 

[VioletEclipse]

Do they actually mean 00:00 on the 8th? (Which would be 12 hours after noon on the 7th )

I'm guessing there'll be some sort of ceremony for the first few trams so maybe 12:00 is better for the Great and Good.

It could also be that they anticipate a lot of people trying to get on the first in service tram to Newhaven, at 12:00 there are a lot of transport options and it's a fairly normal time for some kind of ceremony, as opposed to the start of service at a about 04:30.

 

[zwk500]

It could also be that they anticipate a lot of people trying to get on the first in service tram to Newhaven, at 12:00 there are a lot of transport options and it's a fairly normal time for some kind of ceremony, as opposed to the start of service at a about 04:30.

It's one way to stop bashers monopolising the first day trips, I suppose!

 

[317 forever]

Coincidentally I'm going on holiday on June 7th, and I'm going to Edinburgh this year. Edinburgh will be September though, not June.

 

[snowball]

I could quibble as to whether 7th June is still spring. But the project is certainly closer to schedule than almost any other transport infrastructure project.

It's outside meteorological spring by a week, but within astronomical spring by a fortnight.

 

[fgwrich]

A brief look at Twitter earlier seems to suggest the testing is going reasonably well, except for some occasional delays through Leith due to parked vehicles in the poorly designed loading bays. That seems to be one of the bigger complaints at the moment - particularly down Leith Walk.

 

[chiltern trev]

Article here - two photos of tram and parked van - one from each side of the van. In the end the tram got through.
My observation - there is no white line delineating the tram 'width' so if you guess based on the concrete encasing the tram track then you will guess wrong as the tram is a few cm wider than the concrete.
Also, suggest you park with wing mirrors in.

Edinburgh test tram on new track stuck for 'over 20 minutes' behind parked van

Passengers will be hopping on tram services to Newhaven and back very soon with the tram extension just days away, though one test tram ended up stuck on Constitution Street on Thursday after being blocked by a van.

www.edinburghlive.co.uk

Warning - this article has lots of ads etc which mess up scrolling down the page.

 

[zwk500]

Article here - two photos of tram and parked van - one from each side of the van. In the end the tram got through.
My observation - there is no white line delineating the tram 'width' so if you guess based on the concrete encasing the tram track then you will guess wrong as the tram is a few cm wider than the concrete.
Also, suggest you park with wing mirrors in.

Wing mirrors have got nothing to do with it. That van wasn't parked in the bay, the view from the front shows it a good foot out from the kerb.

Separately, summoning a 2nd driver to wave it past doesn't seem like the most efficient response plan. Is there scope for a local bylaw to give the tram people powers to jack offending vehicles up and move them clear when required? An lever jack on casters would be all that's needed, it could even be kept on the tram if there's a suitable cupboard.

 

[FlybeDash8Q400]

My observation - there is no white line delineating the tram 'width' so if you guess based on the concrete encasing the tram track then you will guess wrong as the tram is a few cm wider than the concrete.
Also, suggest you park with wing mirrors in.

The ironic part is this is right next to what was Edinburgh Council’s Car Pound, where all towed/lifted vehicles used to end up.

 

[InOban]

Presumably the opening date/time is to suit whoever is coming to cut the ribbon. Anyone know who?

 

[edwin_m]

Article here - two photos of tram and parked van - one from each side of the van. In the end the tram got through.
My observation - there is no white line delineating the tram 'width' so if you guess based on the concrete encasing the tram track then you will guess wrong as the tram is a few cm wider than the concrete.
Also, suggest you park with wing mirrors in.

Edinburgh test tram on new track stuck for 'over 20 minutes' behind parked van

Passengers will be hopping on tram services to Newhaven and back very soon with the tram extension just days away, though one test tram ended up stuck on Constitution Street on Thursday after being blocked by a van.

www.edinburghlive.co.uk

Warning - this article has lots of ads etc which mess up scrolling down the page.

I think the second photo shows one "dash" of a dashed white line, disappearing under the vehicle. This is perhaps why the van driver couldn't see it. Normal practice is for the swept path of the tram to be demarcated in some way so other road users can be confident they aren't going to be hit and tram drivers can confirm they won't hit anything/one.

 

[zwk500]

I think the second photo shows one "dash" of a dashed white line, disappearing under the vehicle. This is perhaps why the van driver couldn't see it. Normal practice is for the swept path of the tram to be demarcated in some way so other road users can be confident they aren't going to be hit and tram drivers can confirm they won't hit anything/one.

The dashes in the 2nd photo are the limit of the parking bay, and nothing to do with the tram.

If the van driver had actually parked, rather than leaving his or her vehicle half in the road like a tool, there would have been no problem.

 

[edwin_m]

The dashes in the 2nd photo are the limit of the parking bay, and nothing to do with the tram.

If the van driver had actually parked, rather than leaving his or her vehicle half in the road like a tool, there would have been no problem.

On street sections shared with other traffic, if there's a convenient road marking line or kerb just outside the swept path of the tram, then that will be taken as the swept path demarcation. If there's nothing suitable then a line of yellow dots is added. As the parking bay limit line is evidently about where the edge of the swept path would be, and there are no dots visible, then it's marking the edge of the swept path.

The swept path is the area which has to be unobstructed for the tram to pass at its permitted speed, so includes an allowance for dynamic movements plus a safety margin. Hence it may be possible for a tram to pass an object within the swept path, particularly as here it is going very slowly with someone to watch and shout out if it looks like it's going to hit.

I expect the second driver was from another tram that had to pull up behind this one, or perhaps one in the other direction, so would have been on the scene quite quickly. Far quicker to do this than to mess around with jacks, even if there was one on board the tram and the driver was trained in its use (there's probably some safety reason why a second person would need to be present anyway).

 

[fgwrich]

Regarding the width of the bays, another photo was posted earlier on Twitter illustrating the problem of them. In this instance the arctic, making a delivery to one of the supermarkets along Leith Walk, is having to mount the cycle lane to fit within the width of the bay (and avoiding the yellow dots and white dashes to the left). Although the van in the earlier photos was badly parked, I can see the frustrations of some along this extension.

 

[zwk500]

Regarding the width of the bays, another photo was posted earlier on Twitter illustrating the problem of them. In this instance the arctic, making a delivery to one of the supermarkets along Leith Walk, is having to mount the cycle lane to fit within the width of the bay (and avoiding the yellow dots and white dashes to the left). Although the van in the earlier photos was badly parked, I can see the frustrations of some along this extension.

I have a lot more sympathy for the artic than the van. The lorry has very limited options and to the driver's credit they have done the best they could (they're pretty tight on the tram clearance and don't actually block the cycle lane), short of parking somewhere else which would make load handling problematic. Although there is the wider question of the suitability of a vehicle that size for a city at all, there is also a question about the overall design of the street with Tram, Cycle, Pedestrian, road and parking all interfacing pretty badly. The van had very little reason it could not have parked at least slightly nearer the kerb.

On street sections shared with other traffic, if there's a convenient road marking line or kerb just outside the swept path of the tram, then that will be taken as the swept path demarcation. If there's nothing suitable then a line of yellow dots of yellow dots. As the parking bay limit line is evidently about where the edge of the swept path would be, and there are no dots visible, then it's marking the edge of the swept path.

Interestingly in the photo of the van there are no yellow dots to mark the swept path out, but there are some adjoining the parking bay on the photo of the lorry. Either way, the van should have either had room to park properly within the lines (it's not that close to the car behind, although if you're a solo driver then I can understand being cautious with the mirrors, and had a clear pavement taper in front), or shouldn't have left their vehicle hanging out and found a different spot. Although I do think the pavement kerb taper is rather sharp, which doesn't make it easy.