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Murrayfield tram stop to get giant SRU thistle logo

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Published Date: 18 May 2009
By GARETH EDWARDS
IT IS already an icon of Edinburgh, and now it is set to have an iconic entrance.
Visitors travelling to the home of Scottish rugby on Edinburgh's new tram line will be left in no doubt it is the right stop.

Murrayfield tram station is set to be one of the biggest in the city, with huge crowds expected to use the tram to travel
to and from the many rugby internationals and concerts staged at the stadium every year.

The ground outside the new stop will be decorated with a huge version of the internationally famous "thistle" logo of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU).

A wide semi-circle of stairs will lead down to Roseburn Street just a short walk from the stadium. The stairs are wide enough to accommodate the crowds expected to travel to the ground, which has a capacity of 67,000.

And there will also be elevators to help make the trip easier for disabled passengers.

Currently buses to Murrayfield drop fans on Corstorphine Road, just a few minutes walk from the stadium.

Huge crowds often see the road closed off after matches however, making it difficult to get a bus back into town.

This will not be a problem with the tram, although the sheer numbers are likely to mean a long wait for some at the tram stop.

Dominic McKay, director of communications and government affairs for the SRU, said it would welcome the creation of the new stop.

"We have been working closely with the tram firm, TIE, and the city council and we felt it was important to create a very attractive stop at Murrayfield, which will be the first impression many visitors will have of the new stadium," he said.

"Anyone who has had to get back into town from an event on a rainy day will tell you it's not the best experience, and hopefully the trams will improve that.

"We have a world-class stadium here, and we would welcome anything which will help improve the experience of our visitors, and give them a memorable welcome to Murrayfield, as well as making travel to and from the city centre a little easier."

Gavin Murray, design manager on the Edinburgh Tram Project, added: "This tram stop has been carefully designed to a high specification so as to provide excellent access to and from Roseburn Street opposite the main entrance to Murrayfield Stadium.

"The design consultation included the operator and the emergency services.

"The design includes a lift between Roseburn Street and the high level stop with the staircase graduated in such a way so as to control crowd access."





Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 18 May 2009 9:25 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh transport plans
 
1

Old Cartha Boy,

18/05/2009 12:00:23
Just hope the SRU are not charged for the privelege of having a tramstop nearby! But then the trams will never be completed so what's the point!
2

Bigwull,

edinburgh 18/05/2009 12:11:20
3 they already have along with Heart of Midlothian, typical of the public school boy rugger type thinking they are the only ones which paid
3

I love to eat Sellotape,

18/05/2009 12:19:27
I always count on the Evening News to be first with the hard-hitting "iconic entrance to rugby grounds" stories.
4

Dragonlord,

18/05/2009 12:21:48
This will not be a problem with the tram, although the sheer numbers are likely to mean a long wait for some at the tram stop.


The wait will be even longer because this white elephant will never run.
5

malcyh,

18/05/2009 12:25:51
Nothing new here. The new Lansdown Rd atdium will have a stop and the French national stadium has a stop. Hardly rocket science is it. They will be stoppoing at the airport next...................ah maybe not
6

alfonsa pedrosa,

embra 18/05/2009 12:27:46
And the tram drivers mush be Scottish Rugby Fans,but as usual the large percentage will walk to the match.
7

Wee Dennis,

Bodrum 18/05/2009 12:37:25
Put a stop in for the Murrayfield Indoor sports club while your at it. Cheap Vodka and coke in there.
8

Foo,

18/05/2009 12:42:57
GARETH EDWARDS

Are you planning a full page story for every stop the tram network will have?
9

Goat Boy,

18/05/2009 12:43:43
A wooden spoon logo would be more appropriate.
10

Foo,

18/05/2009 12:45:29
Why is the city council not laying a fibre optic network down whilst the roads are dug up?
11

alfonsa pedrosa,

embra 18/05/2009 12:55:34
#13

That would be to easy, and make sense.
12

Curious Yellow,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 12:56:02
How can single trams cater for 'huge crowds?' Unless they run nose to tail, there's no point!
13

RSH 12,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 13:12:10
# 8

"Old" Lansdown Road was also serviced with a train stop, with a real train not a toy one that was parked there for the crowd coming out from the game. Even with the vastly superior capacity of the train there was the inevitable delays due to the sheer numbers trying to get onto the it. Don't let these tram gurus kid you different, it will be just as bad or worse here and as another letter states, most fans prefer to walk back. Finally, who pays for this flight of fancy?. Both parties are cash strapped and don't need to fritter money away needlessly.
14

Foo,

18/05/2009 13:12:39
17

One tram car can hold 200 people. Three cars per tram, that's 600 being moved every 5 or 10 mins. Try that in a double decker bus in football traffic crowds!
15

RSH 12,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 13:22:51
# 21

And where exactly will the extra toy trains come from without decimating the timetable and screwing up the flow? Buses can be brought in and parked up ready to take on the fans. One double decker bus can hold 86 persons and 3 buses take up less space than your precious toy train while carrying more passengers.
16

tomias,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 13:25:55
Thistle ! Re range rover and hedgehogs!
Do we reall need more pricks ?
17

Robert12,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 13:32:27
Foo, trams have a 332 capacity rather than 250.

Also the council isn't a telecoms company so why would it lay fibre-optic cable in roadworks being carried out by TIE?
18

RSH 12,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 13:41:46
Robert 12

On the evidence so far the council/tie aren't exactly a tram company either.
19

Robert12,

18/05/2009 13:46:44
That's a given!
20

Foo,

18/05/2009 13:48:11
22 RSH 12

One double deck bus = 13.75m
Capacity = 87

One tram car = 40m long
Capacity = 250

So to carry 250 passengers you would need 3 trams, a total length of...41.25 metres!

Add to that the fact that buses require stopping distaces of say 4 metres, that means you're blocking 53 metres of road space to carry 250 fans.

http://www.edinburghtrams.com/index.php/story_so_far/view_details/20/

21

Foo,

18/05/2009 13:55:33
24

"Also the council isn't a telecoms company so why would it lay fibre-optic cable in roadworks being carried out by TIE?"

Yeah that struck me after I posted, but then I thought, surely they could have TIE/contrat company lay them for a cost then sell/rent out the network to telecomms companies who are in the process of laying just such a network in Stockbridge and other areas right now.

Also

"So to carry 250 passengers you would need 3 BUSES, a total length of...41.25 metres!"

wee slip there
22

RSH 12,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 14:36:17
It would appear that I too made a wee slip, according to which source you get the infurmation, LRT double decker buses can carry 120 to 150 persons whichever way tou look at it, is more passengers than the train, sorry tram. You've still not answered how the tram system will be serviced when most the rolling stock will be tied up at Murrayfield waiting for the crowd to exit, or are the rest of the passengers just left to stand about until the trams eventually turn up.
23

The Judge,

18/05/2009 14:48:05
How many rugby matches are played at Murrayfield every year? 6 or maybe 7. How many concerts? 2 or maybe 3?

Hardly worth spending all that money on a fancy tramLINE stop when it's never going to be used.

How much has the SRU put towards the half a tramLINE to no-where and have they paid the money yet?
24

Foo,

18/05/2009 14:53:47
29

Where did you get the 150 in a bus figure? The Guiness book of records?

What gives you the impression the tram will be waiting around for the ground to empty?
25

Thomas the Tank,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 15:40:40
I wonder if TIE's airheaded PR Bimbo who wrote this vacuous piece of spin "We're gonnae stick a huge thistle on a tramstop - whoop-de-do!", or Reporter Evans, or the sub-editor who passed it, have ever actually watched a Murrayfield 'Final Whistle', close-up? LRT (as they then were) tried running a rugby shuttle back into town from Damhead (just under the railway line from Roseburn Street turnstiles) but eventually gave up as it simply wasn't commercially viable. And what impression will a couple of tram-loads, say 500, make on the 67,500 of a full stadium anyway? The walk back to the West End only takes about 15 minutes and most fans treat it as a social occasion. Ryries is a popular stop, as is the Caley Ale House. (oops - TIE destroyed that magnificent old hostelry - best pint of Deuchars in Edinburgh - to make way for their vanity project)
26

All the cool kids drink guinness,

18/05/2009 16:23:15
With regards to capacity of tram vs bus, please remember that the majority of people on a tram will be standing.

I don't know about anyone else but I'd rather have a seat on a knackered old bus than be standing at armpit level next to some obese odour factory on a tram, regardless of how state of the art it is!
27

Foo,

18/05/2009 16:28:22
People will complain about anything
28

It's heading straight for us!,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 16:30:24
Anyone who has come out of Hampden and tried to get the train from Mount Florida station back into the city centre will tell you that trying to empty a stadium into a train is pretty slow going - the trams will be smaller so its just plain daft to think this will be a significant way to move fans away from murrayfield.
29

Foo,

18/05/2009 16:46:20
Murrayfield is used as a venue for things other than rugby. There are many functions and formal dinners held there.
30

The Judge,

18/05/2009 16:54:46
Oh dear Foo you're clutching at straws now.

Even the most ardent protrammies know this project is on it's knees and no amount of "special" tramstops can save it.

Why not admit it, even you know the half a tramLINE to no-where is a busted flush.
31

Foo,

18/05/2009 17:04:31
Nope, I rather think it's you clutching at straws.

For all your 'on its knees' talk, the construction continues. Why don't you simply face up to what everyone else knows, we'll all be riding trams in a couple of years time.

I mentioned the venue being used for other reasons simply because I remembered that I've been to two this year already.

It's a fact that the tram uses less space on the road, carries more people and is faster, cleaner and more pleasant than anything a dirty old diesel fuelled bus can manage.

It's quite simple for you though, if you really don't like trams that much, just don't use them when they're here.
32

The Judge,

18/05/2009 17:38:23
Foo are you really suggesting people attending various dinners and functions will travel to Murrayfield on a tram?

"For all your 'on its knees' talk, the construction continues."

Actually no construction is taking place, all that's happening is one or two companies are removing and replacing the utilities.

"Why don't you simply face up to what everyone else knows, we'll all be riding trams in a couple of years time."

Now Foo that's just rubbish and you know it, virtually none of the current bus users will use the half a tramLINE to no-where.

"It's a fact that the tram uses less space on the road, carries more people and is faster, cleaner and more pleasant than anything a dirty old diesel fuelled bus can manage."

None of this is true, you've made the classic mistake of falling for the PR spin.

"It's quite simple for you though, if you really don't like trams that much, just don't use them when they're here."

Wrong again Foo, I like trams, in the right circumstances they can enhance the cities public transport network unfortunately the current half a tramLINE to no-where won't go anywhere near where I need or want to go. I suppose you've got one thing right today, I won't be using it.

16 months till opening day! Have they even laid a single inch of line yet?
33

calum,

18/05/2009 18:26:34
TIE's own figures suggest a maximum capacity of 4000 passengers per hour. Which means that you should set off almost 17 hours before kick off! And the tram would be useless at the end save for 500 or so.
#8 The LUAS (tram) goes nowhere near either Landsdowne Road or Croke Park, its the DART that goes to Landsdowne.
34

Euan,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 19:04:20
Foo

'The Judge' is right, you are clutching at straws - yet again.

They can go and create the world's best tram stop at Murrayfield for all I care, but it won't be of much use without any trams will it!

The fact remains that the tram project is indeed on it's knees and no amount of spin or lies can change that.

Being one year behind schedule and what surely must now be tens of millions of pounds over budget, the writing is well and truly on the wall for what has to be the most unwanted, un-needed and completely useless transport projects this country is ever likely to see.

It's only a matter of time before this insane project gobbles it's way through all the available funding it has, and at that point, with 'not a penny more' of funding being made available, cancellation will follow suit.













35

Sarah B,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 19:20:23
Euan (47) - I don't agree. I think the Council will borrow whatever it takes. It has already borrowed £14m of its contribution and will need to borrow much more just to achieve the rest of the £45m.

The precedent has been set. If the Council can borrow for the tram contribution, then it will consider it OK to borrow for any shortfall.

I see the Council is also considering borrowing for the Waterfront and it seems to me that, in finally being rid of the previous Director of City Development, we are now lumbered with one that is even more like putty in developers' hands.
36

Maxibus,

18/05/2009 19:22:50

For those who can't wait

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31002583@N05/



37

Euan,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 20:12:48
#48

I'm not so sure about that Sarah.

With the council seemingly committing itself to the £50 million 'loan' for the Waterfront kick-start project, I just cannot see any bank or other organization being willing to lend it even more of this sort of money to prop up what is, after all, a very precarious and hugely risky transport project.

I mean if the £45 million you mention (which as we know, was supposed to come from developers and businesses) eventually comes completely from loans, and this is added to the £50 million for the waterfront, you're looking at a potential total of £95 million of loans, and this is before the council would have to look at borrowing even more funding to cover the huge cost increases the project is currently incurring.

This could potentially make the total amount the council would be borrowing (sorry, gambling with) against the Waterfront and the trams to be in the region of £150-£200 million...

...with no definite way of knowing how it would ever pay it all back.

38

Foo,

18/05/2009 20:16:21
49

* The tram has its own dedicated space, so no traffic jams

* The trams will travel faster and not be held up by traffic

* The tram, at 40m in length holds 250. A bus takes up 39m and holds the same. (you cannot count ~some~ buses, unless you count ~some~ trams that hold approx 350)

* 3 buses require 3 drivers = 3 times the operation cost/3 times the potential for an horrific accident on our already overcrowded roads

* 3 buses take up the space of 19.5 cars on our overcrowded roads
39

Foo,

18/05/2009 20:17:39
Euan, its very, very amusing you claiming the trams will never happen what with all the trams works going on all over the city. Very amusing.
40

Euan,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 20:26:29
#52

Not good to see you on here Tony.

Can you please enlighten us as to where you got the information from that trams will supposedly be double deckers? It seems to be a figment of your imagination.

Oh, and don't tell us 'it's from the horses mouth' - again.




41

Euan,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 20:28:20
#54

Glad you find it so funny Foo.

Ironically, it'll be me who's having the last laugh when this farcical project falls flat on it's face due to a desperate shortage of funds.
42

Foo,

18/05/2009 20:29:16
Cheer up Euan, there's more to life than trams
43

Euan,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 20:32:17
#57

Very cheery thanks.

Remember Foo, there's more to life than trams..

44

krusty the klown,

18/05/2009 21:19:16
#58 - do you do lottery predictions too? Would love to hear the SP for Sat. Also so looking forward to seeing your last laff on youchoob youchoob
45

Sarah B,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 21:21:58
Euan (51) - I asked a banker friend of mine some time ago what he thought the banks' reaction might be to a request for borrowing by the Council for the tram project against future developer contributions, should the need arise.

I thought he would laugh out loud on the basis that the business case was so ropey but he didn't. His response was that, whilst the business case was, indeed, very ropey and "future developer contributions" were highly optimistic, it would ultimately be the taxpayer who was underwriting the loan. That made it one of the "safest loans" in that the banks would know they would eventually get their money back and would likely earn very healthy interest in the meantime.

46

Sarah B,

Edinburgh 18/05/2009 23:45:44
rs - it is difficult to put a precise figure on the losses which Lothian Buses will incur as they are based on the delay in the developments which were assumed in the tram business case; the extent of those developments; and the length of the economic downturn.

This is covered in the independent Risk and Revenue Report which was part of the tram Business Case, which suggests losses starting at £10m per year and rising to staggering levels, depending on the above factors.

The same report expressed scepticism over the robustness of the patronage estimates (as did Arup Scotland) and the tram's over-reliance on (the still largely non-existent) passengers from the Waterfront. Even if those passengers do materialise soon, they would quite probably fill the trams during peak hours but the trams are unlikely to be full for the 12 hours or so per day inter-peak, incurring significant operating costs. By then, of course, it may be far too late to reverse Lothian Buses' fortunes.

47

Foo,

19/05/2009 08:51:09
Gorgie_tony

Thanks for the laugh, now I'm certain you're just on the wind up!

Straight from the horses mouth = some ladies great great granddaughters friend who overheard a telephone conversation.


Hahahahahahahahaha!
48

Old Cartha Boy,

19/05/2009 11:05:56
Foo at #38 et al and

"For all your 'on its knees' talk, the construction continues".

TIE/CEC remind me of a gambler who just needs one last loan to get that big win that he so richly deserves that will ease all his earlier debts. TI/CEC are spending money that they do not have/is not theirs, on an unwanted project that is actually destroying not enhancing Edinburgh.
49

me150,

19/05/2009 11:57:59
C'mon the trams!!!!
50

CAR ONLY EDINBURGH,

28/05/2009 17:34:58
NO TRAMS
NO TRAINS
NO BUSES
NO BIKES

CAR ONLY EDINBURGH!

 

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