THE Scottish Government has signalled it might support more tram lines in Edinburgh, despite having made a failed attempt to scrap the current scheme.
Stewart Stevenson, the transport minister, told The Scotsman there was "logic" in expanding the network, because additional lines would cost less per mile than the initial route.
He said that was because major costs, such as a tram depot and powe
r supplies, would be paid for as part of the £500 million first stage of the project, between Edinburgh airport and Newhaven, due to open in 2011.
The news came as the city council lobbied ministers over a £200 million tram line from the city centre to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Newcraighall.
The SNP's attempt to axe the original tram project and switch funding to bus improvements was defeated by opposition MSPs last year. But it has capped the £500 million funding for the project agreed by the previous Labour-Liberal Democrat administration.
But Mr Stevenson stressed that the government had opposed only the current scheme and was not against trams in Edinburgh on principle.
He said that, having lost the vote, he was committed to making the scheme work.
The four-stage plan also involves a loop via Roseburn and Granton and a western extension to Newbridge. None of these later stages is yet fully funded.
Mr Stevenson said: "We are not against trams as such, but the project that was before us.
"The advice which Edinburgh City Council and Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE) have made to me, which I can see the logic of, is that when you have invested in the infrastructure it is cheaper to make extensions.
"The justification for (future] tram projects would be more straightforward, because the infrastructure costs will have been largely met by the first line."
Mr Stevenson said further lines were a matter for the city council and TIE, but he would "watch with interest" any such moves. He declined to comment about the Newcraighall line.
Tram developers TIE said it is confident Edinburgh would expand its tram network – just like every other city before it.
Willie Gallagher, the executive chairman, said: "Those cities that have invested in tram systems have all extended their networks to support and enhance economic growth following the initial construction.
"I'm sure that Edinburgh will be no different, and I welcome the minister's pragmatic view of the future of Edinburgh's public transport system."
Jenny Dawe, the Liberal Democrat leader of the city council, yesterday put the case for the Newcraighall line to John Swinney, the finance secretary.
Originally called Line Three, it was shelved because proposed funding from congestion charging evaporated when the council abandoned toll plans in 2005.
A feasibility study is under way for a guided busway on the route, which could later be used by trams.
Ms Dawe said: "We have the route of tram line three secured, a draft (parliamentary] bill ready to go, and we are preparing a business case to show why the scheme is so vital for the area. Funding as ever remains the issue, but I believe it's imperative that the growth in this area is seen as necessary, not just for Edinburgh but for Scotland."
However, Rob Munn, the deputy leader of the SNP group, which jointly runs the council, said: "The proposals would have to be looked at in light of the experience of the first line."
A spokeswoman for Mr Stevenson said: "The Scottish Government was against the trams project, but we respected the will of the parliament to allow the scheme to continue.
"In terms of extending any trams project, this would be entirely a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council and TIE," she said.
The full article contains 627 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
