The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Engineering students from Heriot-Watt University are spearheading calls to reopen a rail route that last served neighbourhoods in the south of Edinburgh over 60 years ago.   

The six-strong team of civil engineers, based in Edinburgh, are behind an online petition urging policymakers to integrate Edinburgh’s South Suburban Line into the city’s existing tram network paving the way for a new transport corridor in the Capital. In addition to the petition, which has already gathered almost 1500 signatures in the last week, the students carried out a public survey revealing significant support for their proposals from local communities and potential passengers.

Opened in 1884, the line – commonly known as the Sub – closed to timetabled passenger services in 1962.

Spanning 12.3km, the line links Murrayfield stadium in the west of the city with Portobello on its eastern boundary, passing through the key neighbourhoods of Craiglockhart, Morningside, Newington, Cameron Toll, Craigmillar, Fort Kinnaird and Brunstane. It currently has six platforms lining the route which the students acknowledge require renovation. Their plans also propose a further four new platforms at Portobello, Fort Kinnaird, Niddrie Bingham and Cameron Toll.

While the line is maintained by Network Rail and used today for freight transportation, the students argue it is underutilised asset, capable of assisting Edinburgh City Council in meeting its target to reduce car miles travelled by 30% by 2030.

Caitlin Cummings is working on the project as part of her final year coursework in Civil Engineering. She said: “Breathing new life into Edinburgh’s South Suburban Railway will make travel easier for all and encourage people to leave their cars at home in favour of this transport link.

“We do have a second phase to this project that would see a separate line extend from Portobello to Leith using a disused railway line. This would also reduce public disruption by preventing roads from being dug up and minimise impact to business and the environment while helping encourage people onto public transport.”

Efforts to reopen the Sub line have been discussed before but dismissed due to high costs related to increasing capacity at the stations. But with Edinburgh’s population increasing and placing greater demands on existing public transport services, the students believe they have found a ‘practical and cost-effective’ solution.

After months of research using the knowledge gained through their studies, they have tabled a proposal to introduce Scotland’s first battery-electric tram-train network. Tram-trains have been in use in Europe for decades and already operate in Sheffield with more planned elsewhere in the UK.

Tram-trains are a type of light rail vehicle that meet the standards of a light rail system – such as a tram network – and also national mainland railway standards. Tramcars are capable of operating on streets like an urban tramway as well as alongside mainline trains.

It’s a proposal the campaign group hope will trigger interest from the Scottish Government, Edinburgh City Council and Network Rail.

Final-year MEng Civil Engineering student, Corey Boyle said: “The system we propose is called discontinued electrification. That’s an alternative to a full route electrification like we see used on the Edinburgh trams.

“As they’re battery electric vehicles, they can run on sections using battery alone and then switch to overhead lines at certain points. This way, it helps keep costs down and gets round any potential obstacles, such as low bridges that might otherwise prevent a tram train from receiving power.

“It is a low-carbon and viable transport option that would see greater connections between homes in the south of the city with the city centre and beyond.”

The group say their proposal will help alleviate capacity concerns at Edinburgh’s two busiest railway stations, Waverley and Haymarket.

Corey, continues: “Ultimately, we want our work to result in the commissioning of a new feasibility study which looks into reopening the South sub.

“The last one was in 2008, which was before the trams were even opened and it never looked into the use of tram trains. Since then, there’s been a lot of new developments and there’s a strong case for a new feasibility study to be carried out.”

Edinburgh City Council’s Transport and Environmental Convener, Councillor Stephen Jenkinson thanked the students for organising the petition and supported calls for Edinburgh to have an interconnected public transport system.

He said: “The South Suburban Railway network has been an issue that has appeared many times over the years and represents a potential future opportunity for development.  

“Edinburgh requires an efficient, innovative and interconnected public transport system to allow us to deal with projected population growth, fulfil our climate responsibilities, drive economic growth, and accelerate developments to respond to our housing emergency.

“I’ve been clear that the North-South tram route is a key part of this and I’m looking forward to seeing the final Strategic Business Case when it is ultimately presented to committee. In addition, we are working with partners on how a North-South tram route can connect with other public transport options across the city and the surrounding local authorities and South Suburban Railway is part of this.   

“We’ll continue to keep Edinburgh moving and encourage all our residents and visitors to use public transport wherever possible.”

If you wish to add your name in support of the campaign, you can by visiting Change.org.