Electric tram en route to Liberton

Category

Library Item

Item no

31460

Title

Electric tram en route to Liberton

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1939

Size

14.4 x 22.7 cm

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

In June 1922, the first electric trams came up from Leith, which had come within the Edinburgh boundary in 1920, and by 1924 routes extended to most of the city. From then on plans were made to extend the tramways and by February 1937, when the Corstorphine route reached Maybury Road, this proved unexpectedly to be the last extension opened, as the outbreak of World War II caused plans to be put aside.

There were 28 routes, all of which ran along or touched Princes Street, and 4 depots, and the system worked well until new housing areas appeared beyond the tram routes in1950, when bus services began for those areas. In the same year, it was proposed that 25% of the system be scrapped in favour of buses and there began a gradual withdrawal of routes.

The last trams ran on 16th November 1956, with a procession making the final journey south to the depot at Shrubhill. They carried local dignitaries and members of the public, many of whom were tram enthusiasts. Presentations were made at the Mound by the Lord Provost to the last crews. Local people lined the routes to see the passing of the last trams and there was a large number of police present at the Shrubhill Depot to maintain order. As the final tramcar passed through, the gates were closed after them, ending the historic era of Edinburgh's trams.

Construction on Edinburgh's future tram system started in Spring 2008, while road works to divert utilities on tram routes began in 2007. The project had to deal with moving utilities and other services that had been introduced to the road and pavement surfaces since trams last ran in the city. It is on target to a revised budget and timescale, with passenger services due to begin in May 2014 under the auspices of Transport for Edinburgh, a new company set up in late 2013 to provide integrated transport for the capital.

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Homes > Residential buildings > Tenements

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

Transport > Infrastructure > Streets

Transport > Land > Trams