Excited passengers ride Edinburgh's trams for the first time as the city finally rolls out its long-awaited route from the airport to the
city centre.
Edinburgh's troubled tram system carried its first passengers on Saturday, five years later than originally planned and with the project millions of pounds over budget.
The project sees the return of trams to the capital for the first time in around 58 years.
The line, between Edinburgh Airport to the New Town, has cost around £776 million.
Passengers welcomed the service on Saturday but the building of the line has angered many people living in Edinburgh.
The project has been besieged by problems, including a long-running dispute between the council and its contractor.
It was almost scrapped just weeks before the construction began in 2007.
Later, work ground to a halt for several months when the company in charge of the trams fell into a bitter dispute with the main contractor.
Edinburgh City Council chief executive Sue Bruce said the project - orginally priced at £375 million- had been a "shambles".
But travellers hailed them as "absolutely fantastic" on Saturday.
Testing of the trams got under way earlier this year.
But Saturday was the first time they were open to the public.
The new network was initially intended to be larger than it is now, stretching to the waterfront at Leith and Newhaven, and it was originally hoped to be in operation in 2010.
But as the project encountered delays and cost overruns, the other lines fell away, leaving the single route linking the city centre and the airport.
Many Edinburgh residents also grew increasingly frustrated with the project as they had to endure roadworks and traffic congestion, while others were angry at the over-budget cost of the project.
Ian Craig, chief executive of Transport for Edinburgh, said:
"Following many months of preparation for the new service, Transport for Edinburgh is now primed to play a central role in the future success of Edinburgh, moving residents and visitors to where they need to be on a dynamic and fully integrated transport system, utilising tram and bus."
He added: "I'm proud of what has been achieved but there's much more to be done. This is a brand new system and, as we start to welcome passengers on board, we'll be keeping a very close eye on the service to make sure our customers get the best possible experience."
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