Edinburgh Trams Hit New Rider High

0:00It's March 27th, this is Edinburgh News today, AI-powered stories from your city. Edinburgh's trams hit a new high this year, carrying 12.5 million passengers in 2025, a 3.3% jump from last year that includes nearly 1.5 million riders in August alone, with a single day record of just under 77,000 on August 9th, thanks to the Oasis concert. The boost comes from easier tap-on, tap-off payments using bank cards, plus running all 27 trams at once during big events, like they tested. In 2024, festivals and record summer crowds also packed the lines. Riders have grown steadily since the trams launched in 2014, skipping only the pandemic dip. The leafline extension in June 2023, double trips from 5.3 million in 2022 to 2023 to 10.1 million the next year. Now the city is eyeing a new route from Grand through the city center to the southeast,

1:04possibly reaching Cameron Toll and the Royal Infirmary. With future links farther out, over 11,000 people weighed in during last year's consultation, taking costs near 3 billion pounds. Counselors review the full ridership report and route plans this Thursday, setting the stage for even more tram growth in the capital.