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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Lee Dalgetty

Edinburgh test tram on new track stuck for 'over 20 minutes' behind parked van

A test tram running on the Newhaven extension line got stuck on Thursday afternoon.

The vehicle, which was making its way up Constitution Street in Leith, was blocked by a parked van which was "over the line'" A driver of another tram was called to help guide his colleague past safely.

Robert Drysdale, a local resident who spotted the incident, said the tram was stuck for "over 20 minutes'." According to Robert, the tram only "just" managed to squeeze past the abandoned motor.

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In a tweet, he wrote: "This tram has been stuck behind this overhanging van for 20 minutes now. What's the action plan? Need to have a plan, as this is likely to happen regularly and bring the system to a halt."

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Robert added: "The tram was blocked by a poorly-parked van which wasn't fully into its parking bay and was overhanging the road. In the end another tram driver came to see the tram safely past the van, which it just managed."

The tram was reportedly blocked for 'over 20 minutes' (Contributed/Robert Drysdale)

Edinburgh Trams said this was the first incident of its kind, and confirmed they are not concerned regarding further problems with parking. A spokesperson said: "Since we started running trams between Picardy Place and Newhaven as part of testing & commissioning, this is the first incident of its kind. Hence, it has also occasionally happened on the current network and has been dealt with successfully by our Service Delivery team.

"Therefore, we are confident that incidents like this will not represent an issue in the future once we launch services to Newhaven."

Passengers will be able to travel on the new tram line from June 7, with construction beginning back in 2019. Lea Harrison, Managing Director of Edinburgh Trams, said: "The setting of a launch date for the new line is fantastic news for city residents and visitors, but particularly communities between the city centre and Newhaven.

"In recent years, thanks to the efforts of the entire Edinburgh Trams team, our multi award-winning tramway has become one of the most popular transport systems of its type thanks to a single-minded commitment to service excellence that will continue into an exciting new era."

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