Thursday June 11th 2026
Edinburgh Tram on St Andrew's Square
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Liam Eunson
Edinburgh residents have shown support for a tram route expansion into Midlothian and the Royal Infirmary in a recent consultation that gathered 11,425 responses.
The consultation submitted through the Edinburgh Councils consultation hub sought the public’s views between 25 August and 17 November 2025 on proposed new tram routes, that included a potential expansion into Midlothian.
Working closely with the Midlothian and East Lothian Councils and regional transport partnership, SEStran, the Edinburgh City Council is in talks for a potential future mass transit connections beyond the BioQuarter and Royal Infirmary.
Seeking opinions on this expansion, 43% of respondents were in support of an expansion to Midlothian / Shawfair with 23% opposing this option and 29% neither opposing or in support.
Despite consulting the Edinburgh public and not Midlothian residents, the consultation result shows a positive development in expanding Edinburgh’s controversial tram system into Midlothian.
A Midlothian Council spokesperson explained to the Midlothian View that they ‘recognise potential benefits’ of an expansion into Midlothian, but highlighted practical issues surrounding the extension.
They explained: “Midlothian Council notes publication of findings from the recent consultation on wider Edinburgh tram proposals, which include a potential extension towards Shawfair.
“Our position remains as set out previously – while we recognise the potential benefits of improved connectivity, there are important issues to resolve around how any extension would work in practice, particularly how it fits with existing transport, planned development and local needs.
“We will continue to work with partners to better understand the potential benefits and impacts for Midlothian communities as proposals develop.”
Transport Convener for the Edinburgh City Council, Stephen Jenkinson, also highlighted plans to continue work between the two authorities to progress the potential plans.
He explained: “Our plans represent a transformational opportunity for Edinburgh, the wider region and country. From boosting economic growth through to tackling the climate and housing emergencies, whilst making it easier for everyone to get around – a mass transit system with tram at the heart of it is fundamental.
“Whilst the consultation and market research form an important part of the business case which will be brought to Committee in September, I’ve been clear throughout that we need to wait until we have all the evidence in front of us before we take a decision.
“What is abundantly clear though is that doing nothing in the face of the significant challenges we face as a city is not an option.
“We’ll continue to work closely alongside Midlothian Council and our other regional partners as we proceed with the process.”
It hasn’t yet been made clear where the tram would end in Midlothian, but Shawfair was mentioned in the consultation suggesting it may end near the recently closed park and ride.
Also in the consultation, results showed 51% support for an expansion to the BioQuarter and Royal Infirmary, with only 27% of people opposing the plan.
The proposed route would begin at Princes Street on the existing tram infrastructure, allowing bus and rail interchange in the heart of the city centre.
The route would then cross the North Bridge, and run through Nicolson Street, Newington and on to Cameron Toll, then west towards the BioQuarter and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
The potential expansion could also include a route into East Lothian connecting to Queen Margaret University. In the consultation this showed similar support to the Midlothian expansion with 43% in support, 23% opposing and 30% neither in support or against.
Alongside potential expansions outside the city into surrounding counties, proposed plans to use the Roseburn Path and Orchard Brae have been rejected by residents with strong opposition to both of the council’s options.
READ MORE: Roseburn Path tramline decision coming in September
For the Roseburn Path option which received the most objections with 68% opposing and 23% in support. For Orchard Brae only 40% opposed with 38% showing support.
For Orchard Brae, the route would head to the west end of Princes Street along Orchard Brae, Queensferry Road (via the Dean Bridge) and Queensferry Street.
It is estimated that this option would cost between £650m – £850m and is forecast to carry around 3.75m passengers per annum by 2042.
For Roseburn Path, the route plans to connect to the existing line west of Haymarket via an old railway line which winds from Ferry Road/Crewe Toll before reaching Craigleith and heading towards the west end and city centre.
This option is estimated to cost between £350m-£480m and is forecast to carry around 4.25m passengers per annum by 2042.
The entire route is forecast to cost between £2bn-2.9bn, depending on the final options selected, and carry around 38m passengers by 2042.
It is important to note that funding has not yet been secured for the expansion, with Midlothian and Edinburgh councils still very much in the beginning stage of discussions.
Next steps following the consultation will now follow with market research planned to inform an Strategic Business Case that will be presented to the Transport and Environment Committee on 10 September this year.
Midlothian Council has not yet announced if there will be a consultation for Midlothian residents to have their say if plans do go ahead to expand into the county.
For the full consultation results. click here.
Tweet Share on Facebook
