The 2.9-mile Edinburgh Trams line from Picardy Place to Newhaven opened to passengers on 7 June, with services starting at noon. Although an extension to the existing route from the Airport, the Newhaven section was intended to be built as part of the original network but was dropped after the project ran into difficulties. City of Edinburgh Council subsequently gave the go-ahead for the Newhaven route in March 2019 and construction began later that year; unlike the original route, it has been completed on schedule and within its £207.3 million budget.
Opening of the route and its eight stops follows a period of testing. Edinburgh Trams has recruited 40 extra drivers and a similar number of Ticketing Services Assistants, with driver training taking place initially on a simulator at the depot at Gogar. The fleet of 27 trams, which was ordered before the original network was cut back, will be more fully utilised, with 17 trams required in normal service now the Newhaven route is open (although at busy times extra trams are deployed; for example, 23 trams were in service in early June to serve a series of concerts at Murrayfield stadium). Siemens maintains the infrastructure, while manufacturer CAF maintains the tram fleet.
