Edinburgh Trams are to run from every five minutes during the morning and evening rush hours to help cater for higher demand.
The move follows a successful trial carried out during the weeks of 11 and 18 July to check that there were no impacts on traffic flows from the increased frequency.
From 26 July the service will run from every five minutes between 7.30am to 9.30am and 4.30pm to 6.30pm rather than current frequency of eight to ten minutes.
The change means there will be an extra three return journeys during both the morning and evening rush hours, providing a total of 1,500 additional passenger spaces.
Lea Harrison, General Manager, said:
“The trams have proved very popular since they were introduced, with passenger numbers increasing all the time. Although this is a modest increase in our capacity on the line it is still an important step in increasing the frequency of the service and providing more capacity during peak times so we can help even more people travel along the route.”
George Lowder, Chief Executive of Transport for Edinburgh, said:
“We are very pleased to make this change. A lot of work has gone into making sure the new journeys would integrate seamlessly with other traffic and I appreciate the efforts that all the staff at Edinburgh Trams and City of Edinburgh Council have put into this. We will maintain our focus on improving the service on the existing line for the benefit of commuters, residents and visitors alike.”
Councillor Lesley Hinds, Chair of Transport for Edinburgh and Transport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, added:
“Coming on the back of a strong passenger and financial performance, this is more welcome news for the trams. The increased demand and our ability to boost capacity so that even more people can travel by tram at the busiest times of the working day are both positive signs for the service. I know the Edinburgh Trams team will continue to look for new ways to further improve their offering and help us make public transport an even more attractive option for people living, working, visiting or spending time in the Capital.”
There were 5.38 million passengers on Edinburgh Trams in its second 12 months of operation, a 9.3% increase on the year following launch, when 4.92 million passengers were carried, and around 340,000 ahead of the target for the period. The service also has a 97% customer satisfaction rating from a major independent survey of tram services across the UK.
Edinburgh Trams has a fleet of 27 and currently employs 130 staff including drivers, Ticketing Services Assistants (TSAs), control centre operators and maintenance engineers.
The tram line is 14km long with 15 stops (16 once the Edinburgh Gateway is complete) and a journey from the airport to the city centre takes approximately
35 minutes.