Crowds gather to be first to board new extended Edinburgh Tram route to Newhaven

Crowds gathered in Edinburgh city centre on Wednesday to become the first paying passengers to travel on a tram down Leith Walk for the first time in almost 70 years.

Crowds were seen at Picardy Place in the capital ahead of the first official service towards Newhaven, which set off at noon on July 7.

The extension spans 2.9 miles from the city centre and encompasses eight stops as it travels towards Newhaven.

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To mark the opening, the earliest passengers were able to purchase ‘platinum’ tram tickets from machines at Picardy Place and Newhaven tram stops while Pulse of the Place, a youth samba band based in north Edinburgh, performed.

The Guard of Honour from the High Constabulary of the Port of Leith stood at Pilrig Street to welcome the tram to Leith wearing full parade dress, including top hats, whistles and ceremonial batons.

The controversial £207m project, which was initially set to be operational from ‘Spring 2023’, attracted the ire of local businesses in Leith after forcing the closure of vast swathes of the street over the last four years.