Covid-19 Travel Advice

Decide the best journey for you.

Trams are running every 15 minutes for key workers and essential journeys - download our temporary timetable. If you want to travel outside of the busiest times, the graph below shows the times when customers are travelling. 

Tram usage graph

Stay safe when using the tram. 

We've made some small changes to the way we run our service. Although we can’t guarantee social distancing at all times, we’re trying our best to encourage all of our customers to adapt and follow these new guidelines for a safer journey.

Face covering

Please remember you must wear a face covering when using the tram. 

Feeling ill icon

Please don't use the tram if you are feeling ill - stay at home. 

Cough or sneeze

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the bin.

Stand apart

Please respect social distancing and stand apart at the stop. 

m-tickets covid

Buy tickets using the TfE app so that you don't need to use the ticket machine. 

doors out of use

Use all available doors - the single doors at each end of the tram are not currently in use.

Tram doors

Tram doors will open automatically, then board one at a time. If the tram is too busy to maintain social distancing please be responsible and do not board.

wash your hands

Before and after travelling, wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. 

Be considerate

We're all in this together please be kind and considerate to other customers and colleagues. 

Seating and standing space

For social distancing please use all the available seating and standing space. 

Seats not in use

To keep our colleagues safe some seats at the ends of the tram are not in use. 

Ticket check

Smartcards, m-tickets and tickets will be checked without contact.

Door buttons

No need to touch the door buttons, doors will open automatically

tram window icon

Our windows are open to allow a flow of fresh air into the tram - please do not close these if you are on board.

cleaning

All our trams are being thoroughly cleaning throughout the day. 

We're ready when you are.

Our colleagues are working hard to ensure our trams and tram stops have been adapted and are safe to use. 

Good to Go Scotland logo

We’ve also attained the Good To Go Industry Standard by VisitScotland, recognising that Edinburgh Trams has followed government Covid-19 guidelines ensuring processes are in place to maintain cleanliness and customer safety. 

Frequently Asked Questions

View all FAQs

Covid-19 Travel

Tram services are running every 15 minutes from 5am to midnight. Please click here for detailed timetable information.

Only travel if your journey is essential, for example, for work or shopping. However, if you do have to use public transport, we are doing all we can to follow the Governments guidance to keep our customers and colleagues safe.

We have signage and messaging in place at tram stops and on trams to promote social distancing. This includes:

  • Use m-tickets, smartcards or contactless payment to reduce cash handling.
  • Clearly present your mticket, smartcard or ticket to a Ticket Inspector which will be checked in line with our ‘touchless’ ticket checking procedure.
  • You should, and are expected to, wear a face covering
  • Keep yourself and others safe by maintaining the two-metre physical distance rule. i.e. use all available floor space, seating and exit/entrances including while queuing for ticket machines and smartcard validators.
  • Where impossible to maintain two-metre distancing, avoid physical contact and face away from others, keep the time you spend within two-metres of others as short as possible.
  • Travel at quieter times of the day.

At the moment, our busiest times are between 12 noon - 2pm. However, our trams have a normal capacity of 250 and are currently operating from every 15 minutes. Therefore, it is easy to maintain social distancing at all times.

Our trams and trams stops (including ticket machines and smartcard validators) are currently subject to an enhanced cleaning regime and sanitised regularly.

Stay at home if you or anyone in your household is experiencing coronavirus symptoms (new continuous dry cough, fever or the loss of or a change in your sense of smell or taste) or if you are self-isolating or you are shielding.

If you become unwell during your tram journey, you should disembark the tram at the next stop and follow Government advice. Be careful not to touch your face and remember to cover your mouth with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing.

The Government is advising you to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser before and after every transport journey.

From Monday 22 June, it is mandatory for you to wear a face covering when travelling by public transport.

We have introduced ‘touchless’ ticket checking. Ticket checks may take place on tram stops as well as on trams. Please clearly present your ticket, smartcard or m-ticket to the Ticket Inspector.

We recommend using m-tickets or smartcards to reduce surface contact with ticket machines. Remember, all tickets, smartcard and m-tickets must be purchased, validated or activated before boarding the tram otherwise the £10 on board fare will apply.

These products are administered by our sister organisation, Lothian. Please refer to their FAQs at www.lothianbuses.com

Read our FAQs