True cost of Edinburgh tram line has exceeded £1bn, says report

An Edinburgh tram on the final section of the line to Newhaven, which opened in June – 12 years later than originally promised. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

A damning report on the chaos that beset Edinburgh’s tram line says its true cost has soared to well over £1bn because of a “litany of avoidable failures”.

The long-awaited report from a public inquiry into the project calls for new powers to prosecute businesses that make “false statements” to councillors, and substantial changes in the way Scotland oversees tram projects in future.