Testing has officially begun on the new Edinburgh Trams to Newhaven route from the city centre to Leith.
Following recent news of the 'ghost trams' running from Picardy Place to Newhaven over the next four nights between 8pm to 4am, Monday night saw a landmark milestone reached for the £207million project.
Due to officially open by June 21, rigorous testing on the track, software and signalling must now take place before the new link can be declared fully operational.
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Dozens of engineers and marshals gathered at Picardy Place at 8pm sharp on Monday evening, March 13, as the first tram to travel on the newly-laid track to Newhaven set-off.
Travelling at a snails pace along the track and stopping momentarily at each new stop along the way, the trams, carrying no passengers, attracted a lot of attention.
Staff from local businesses and curious locals poked their heads out of windows to catch a glimpse of the exciting achievement. Councillors Cammy Day and Transport Convener Scott Arthur were among those present for the highly-anticipated event.
Testing will take place through to March 17 during the early hours to minimise disruption to traffic. Diversions are in place for those travelling northbound from Leith Walk to Great Junction Street during the testing process.
A statement on the Trams to Newhaven site warning locals of the upcoming tram testing reads: "The first stage of testing and commissioning will involve a tram travelling at walking pace along the route. This will take place during evening and night shifts to minimise traffic disruption.
"As part of the commissioning process, every aspect of the new infrastructure will be thoroughly tested to ensure it meets the required safety standards.
"Please note, this is not a public event. There will be no access for the public onto or near the tram but please exercise caution if you are in the vicinity. A controlled zone will be managed around the tram by traffic marshals and staff will be carrying out specialised tasks. The results of this phase of testing will then be analysed to ensure the tram is operating as expected."
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