Plans for £1.7bn Edinburgh tram extension to hospital approved by council

Edinburgh City Council has approved plans for a £1.7bn tram extension to the Royal Infirmary.

During a meeting on Thursday, councillors from the SNP, Labour, and Scottish Greens joined forces to approve recommendations that the capital’s proposed southern tram extension is prioritised over the northern route.

The project, which would see a tram connecting Princes Street with the Royal Infirmary and the BioQuarter, was passed with seven votes.

The Conservatives objected flat out to any tram works at all, saying the plans are unfunded, unsupported and objected to by residents.

The proposed northern extension to Granton has been shelved, partly due to the lack of a suitable route.

Local MPs had previously raised concerns that approving the recommendations would neglect parts of the city.

A strategic business case is due to be completed by next August.

It is believed that it would be a decade before a tram travels on the extended route, if a full north-south tram network plan is given the green light.